You've Got Mail
by marvindamartian
Summary: It's Ginny's birthday, and her biggest present is a brand new computer. She soon starts talking to a stranger online, though that stranger is a lot closer than she thinks. And what is with her new DADA teacher?. Eventually DG, please R&R!
1. What the Bloody Hell is a Compooter?

Author's Note: I know I should probably be working on AAWIH, but I had this idea for a story so suddenly, I just had to start writing. I know it is pretty overdone, but I think mine will be slightly different. Enjoy!  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.  
  
You've Got Mail: Chap.1-What the Bloody Hell is a Compooter?  
  
Virginia Weasley (Ginny to just about everyone) stifled a yawn as she gazed outside her window at the backyard of the Burrow. It was a ramshackle hut on the outskirts of Ottery St. Catchpole, but to Ginny, it was home. Well, along with Hogwarts.  
  
She shook her head to keep her eyes open, and continued watching. Her brother and his two best friends were outside, de-gnoming the wild garden. Gnomes were flying everywhere by the dozens. A scene of absolute chaos, but Ron, Harry and Hermione seemed to enjoy it. They were laughing and having fun, and Ginny smiled wistfully, hoping she could be with them.  
  
But no, that wasn't an option. Sure, they were all nice to her, and Ron was more of a friend than a brother, but she wasn't really in their group. They may put up with her, talk to her, make her laugh, but when it came down to it, they'd usually sneak off together, leaving Ginny by herself. Again.  
  
So that was pretty much why she was here, in her tiny room, alone, hot, and bored on the verge of tears. Ginny tore her gaze away from the window, and climbed off the cushioned window ledge. Padding down the stairs quietly, she made for the kitchen, praying silently that she could get a drink and leave quickly without seeing her mother.  
  
Mrs. Weasley had been close to an emotional breakdown all week. It was Ginny's sixteenth birthday the next day (August 16) and her mother had been moping around the entire house, wailing that her baby was all grown up, and bursting into tears when she stumbled across an old belonging of her daughter's. The rest of the family found excuses to avoid the weepy matriarch, and Ginny said she had homework. It wasn't like she wanted to be stuck in a bear hug with an emotional woman.  
  
Ginny had just gotten her drink and was about to shut the fridge when she heard a distinct wailing and shuffling of feet behind her. Throwing caution to the winds, she made a break for the stairs, hoping to be up them and gone before Molly Weasley could see.  
  
No such luck.  
  
"Ginny!" Molly cried out, clutching a ratty doll to her chest. Ginny winced and froze on the stairs, before putting on a smile and turning around slowly. 'Trapped,' she thought frantically with the air of a wild beast. She searched wildly for an escape route, but there was none. She resorted to trying to talk her mother out of whatever she was trying or going to do.  
  
"Hey mum," she said weakly. "Umm, I kind of have a lot of homework, I need to get back to my room so-"  
  
But Molly Weasley wouldn't give up that easily. She leapt forward and grabbed her daughter by the wrist, pulling her down the stairs and into a tremendous hug. Her drink fell, and Ginny praised her brothers for the amount of bottled sodas they consumed and bought daily.  
  
"Oh my poor, sweet baby, you shouldn't have to work so hard!" She sobbed, squeezing extra tight. Ginny had her arms pinned to her side, and was finding it exceedingly hard to breathe.  
  
"There there, mum. Don't worry about it, this pretty much the standard load for all entering sixth year." Wrong thing to say. This led right into her mother's "My baby is all grown up!" tirade, and it was at least an hour long.  
  
Her mom pulled her to the couch and sat her down on it, all the while wailing that Ginny was almost a woman, and pretty soon she'd leave home forever, etc. Ginny tuned out rather quickly, focusing instead on, well, anything.  
  
She thought about her birthday a little. It was almost here, her sixteenth birthday. When she was little, people this age had always seemed so worldly, mature, and well, cool. Except Percy. He'd always been that boring.  
  
Ginny stifled a laugh at the thought of her strict older brother, brown noser that he was. Molly shot her a quizzical glare that said she clearly didn't think there was anything funny about what she had to say before returning to her speech about Ginny's birth, or birthday, or whatever.  
  
'Alright, so I probably shouldn't laugh out loud anymore,' she noted mentally. She had just started counting the squares on an old quilt when the backdoor burst open. Ginny looked up eagerly, hoping for a distraction, which is exactly what she got.  
  
"Ginny!" Arthur Weasley called out, before spotting them on the couch and hurrying over, a huge grin on his face. She quickly stood and walked to him, giving her dad an equally wide grin, happy for the chance to stop her mother's endless speech.  
  
"What's up? Where'd you go?" Arthur had left an hour ago, very quietly and mysteriously.  
  
Her father just smiled wider and clapped his hands, rocking back and forth excitedly. "You'll see in a second. Now, Molly, I know we agreed to wait till tomorrow to give Ginny any gifts, but I just couldn't resist. Gin, come here for a minute." Ginny obeyed, feeling rather nervous, but in a good way. Granted, her father had never been good at gift giving (one year he gave her a Barbie. She had been eleven), she had a feeling this year would be different.  
  
After Harry had defeated Voldemort when he had attempted to kill the boy in a surprise attack , Cornelius Fudge had resigned out of shame for all his doubts. Arthur Weasley had been immediately considered for post of Minister, and he had accepted. So far he'd been doing a great job repairing the wizarding world from the albeit short reign of Voldemort.  
  
Advanced post also means advanced pay, and by now, the Weasleys were doing alright for themselves. They only stayed in the Burrow because of tradition (it had been in Arthur's family for six generations), but they could easily afford much better.  
  
Ginny's mind was disrupted from her thoughts by thumping and footsteps. She looked up, and saw her father walking towards her, in his arms a big box. On the side were some words and pictures Ginny didn't recognize. Arthur looked like an eager little boy, however, so Ginny plastered a smile on and waited.  
  
"Ginny, this is your present. It's a computer," Arthur stated with reverence. Unable to control herself, Ginny just blurted out, "What the bloody hell is a compooter?"  
  
***  
  
Draco Malfoy yawned widely, and sat up, leaning back on his hands as he surveyed his room. Filthy. Dark. Depressing. Draco felt himself smile. Just the way he liked it.  
  
Draco glanced at the clock, and frowned when he saw it was one. In the afternoon. He sighed and shoved the black silk sheets (A/N: teeheehee, black silk!) away from his legs. Swinging them over the edge of his four poster bed, he walked to his huge walk-in closet with a smirk on his face. He loved being rich.  
  
He grabbed a pair of jeans and a T-shirt, and walked to his own bathroom. His socked feet made a soft pattering sound as he walked across the hardwood floor. He shut the door and looked at himself in the mirror. Perfect. He was wearing only a pair of boxers, which rode low on his waist and showed off his lean, toned body to perfection.  
  
He smirked again at his reflection, before taking a quick shower and changing quickly. He knew he was probably the most eligible bachelor at Hogwarts-well, alongside Potter. Draco felt his mouth twist into a sneer automatically. Potter. What a useless waste of space and air.  
  
"Look at me, I'm a gay idiot who's too stupid to know when to die," he said in a high voice, fluttering his eyelashes and waving his hands around stupidly in front of the mirror. He laughed a little, though the smile didn't reach his eyes. He walked back into his room, and turned on the stereo. Instantly Metallica began blaring through the six speakers set up strategically around his room. A year ago, he would have been beaten horribly by his father for his choice in Muggle music, but that was before Lucius had changed. After Voldemort's death, Lucius Malfoy tried to take over the Death Eaters, but it didn't work. They had all rebelled, and cursed him at once. The Cruciatus mixed with a variety of other hexes and jinxes produced a man no more harmful than a toddler. Draco's father was currently in a locked room under 24-hour surveillance at St. Mungo's. Not that Draco or his mother cared. The bastard could rot in hell for all they cared.  
  
He was about to go down and grab some kind of breakfast, when he realized just how filthy his room had gotten over the summer. He had just dumped all school materials in various places, and since all house-elves with abusive owners had all been set free (thanks to Mudblood Granger), the mess had just grown and grown. He frowned a little, before sighing and ringing a little bell. In a second Draco's butler had Apparated into the room with a pop.  
  
"Yes, Mr. Malfoy?" He asked his charge respectfully.  
  
"This room is filthy!" Draco exclaimed. "James, I'm going out for food, I want this room spotless by the time I return. And don't open the windows like last time," he warned, and James bowed, then Disapparated. James was new, and on his first morning, had made the near fatal mistake of opening the curtains and inflicting light upon Draco.  
  
Shaking his head at the memories of incompetence, Draco turned off the music and grabbed his favorite pair of Armani sunglasses, before sliding down the stair rails and heading towards his garage. Yes, his own garage. Now that Lucius was gone, Narcissa Malfoy let Draco roam free and do what he wanted. He took the opportunity to pursue his forbidden love. Muggles.  
  
Yes, the Draco Malfoy secretly admired Muggle objects. He took Muggle Studies in private with Dumbledore, and now, he was the proud owner of a stereo, television, many CDs, a computer, and a bunch of cars. He opened the door of his favorite, a silver Nissan Skyline. It was a beautiful car, one he had spent agonizing hours suping up and adjusting, till it was his dream, his baby. He wasn't even sure he loved his mother as much as he did this car.  
  
After meticulously brushing off a speck of dirt on the hood, Draco hopped in and tore out of the driveway, sunglasses on, windows down, and music blasting.  
  
Life was good.  
  
***  
  
For Ginny, life wasn't going that great. Arthur beamed at her, apparently not noticing her dismay. "A computer, honey. It's a Muggle thing, everyone has them nowadays. You can write on it, or, use something called AOL to talk to other people that have computers. Really quite extraordinary. You can even send mail, instantly!"  
  
Ginny was impressed, though still confused as to how some of these things could occur. Not to worry, however, because within seconds her father had dragged her up to her room (though that wasn't so bad; it got her away from her mother) and begun installing her present. Ginny just sat back, mystified, until everything was plugged in. Arthur excitedly pressed the on button and waited in suspense.  
  
Nothing.  
  
Arthur's smile flickered for an instant. "That's odd," he remarked and pushed the button again.  
  
Still no sound or movement.  
  
He frowned, and pushed the button once more. When nothing happened again he pushed it again, and again, till he had worked himself into a push- button frenzy. Quite scary for Ginny.  
  
Finally, she realized he would either hurt himself or the compooter, computer, whatever, so she stepped in.  
  
"Dad, DAD!" She yelled, and he finally seemed to break out of his trance. "I was thinking, how about we ask Harry and Hermione to help. This obviously isn't working."  
  
Arthur straightened and beamed at his only daughter. "Great idea! I'll run and get them now!" And without further thought, he sprinted out of her room and down the stairs. In almost record time, he was back in, dragging the dream team behind him.  
  
Hermione soon detached her arm and walked over to where Ginny was standing near the desk. "Wow, a computer. It's really nice too. You're so lucky, I'm stuck with a crappy slow one."  
  
Ginny smiled at the older girl. "Well, I think I'd be luckier if I knew how to work the damn thing," she said quietly, with a glance at her father. He was having a heated discussion with Harry about something called elecktrisity, and Hermione followed her gaze, understanding the situation immediately.  
  
"I see, you don't want to hurt your dad's feelings," Hermione concluded, and Ginny nodded. "Don't worry, I'll handle it," she finished, before bending over the computer and clicking her tongue.  
  
"What is it?" This had seemed to rouse Arthur from his conversation, and he strode to the desk quickly. Ginny stood to the side awkwardly, before going to talk to Harry (Ron wanted to look at the computer). She had long since gotten over the-Boy-Who-Lived, and now he was just a brother to her.  
  
"Hey Gin, happy birthday tomorrow," Harry said, and she smiled nervously at him.  
  
"Thanks. God, I still can't believe I'm going to turn sixteen tomorrow! This all feels so unreal," she told him, and he just smiled, and ruffled her hair affectionately.  
  
"I know it feels weird now, but you'll get used to it, trust me on this one," Harry advised, and Ginny felt all her apprehensions about the next year of her life disappear.  
  
She was interrupted from further conversation by Hermione. "Hey Ginny, come here, I'll show you how this all works." Hermione rushed over and dragged her over by the arm. Ginny waved back at Harry, and mouthed the word "Thank you" before she was pushed into the chair and he was blocked from view.  
  
Harry chuckled to himself, before shoving his hands in his pockets and walking out the door. Ah to be young and carefree again.  
  
***  
  
An hour later, Draco was driving back home, at top speed, with a mysterious box in the backseat of his car. Food had been abandoned when, driving past an electronics store, he the most beautiful thing in the world.  
  
A brand new PowerBook.  
  
With a twelve-inch screen, 4.6 pounds in weight, and 1.18 inches thin, this was like heaven on Earth for Draco. If you thought he loved his car, just look at him with the computer. Inside the store Draco even had to restrain himself from kissing it.  
  
Getting his emotions under control, he went to the counter and did the reasonable thing; asked about the hard drive, its price, modem capabilities. Draco was impressed. This was a great all-around computer, and he bought it without hesitation.  
  
Draco was feeling pretty good. On the way back to his car, he even managed to whistle a small tune, before glancing around him quickly to make sure no one saw. After all, he still had to keep up appearances.  
  
***  
  
Ginny stared blankly at the laptop sitting on the desk in front of her.  
  
It stared back.  
  
Ginny scowled. "Stupid computer," she muttered darkly, and cautiously reached out a hand and pressed a random button. The computer beeped, and Ginny jumped in her chair. Hermione and her father had taught her the basic, and logged her onto AOL, before leaving her alone with only the laptop, and an instruction book.  
  
She consulted the book now. "Okay, so the first step is to get my own screen name for AOL. Simple, right?" She told herself and went to aol.com. She filled out the appropriate forms, and pretty soon she was Pyropinkmonkey12 (she was in an odd mood). Her email was the same, except with @aol.com at the end.  
  
Ginny rubbed her hands together excitedly. She had gone to Colin Creevey's house a month or so ago, and he had showed her the Internet on his computer. He had AOL too, and had a screen name too. Now if only she could remember what it was.  
  
Ginny leaned on her hand, clicking her tongue as she thought back. Anyone else would have thought his screen name would have something to do with cameras, but Ginny remembered it was something really weird. A video game, or an arcade game he liked.  
  
Wait, what was the one he had showed her once? The game was scary as hell, and the title was kind of scary too. Something Evil. Resident Evil, that was it!  
  
Without hesitation she typed it into the window, then wrote "Hey," and clicked Send.  
  
***  
  
Draco Malfoy took a long sip of his black coffee, and looked at his computer. He was in his newly cleaned room, and had just installed his PowerBook. He set up everything he needed, transferred all his files from his old computer to the new one, and now he was struggling to download AOL.  
  
"Come on, come on, work you stupid ass thing," he muttered to himself, barely controlling the urge to hit something (preferably the computer, though no chance in hell would he give in; the thing cost a lot).  
  
Finally, a little screen popped up, telling him the download was complete. It then asked him to type in his screen name and password. Draco did so, then sat back with a smirk.  
  
He loved his screen name. He had heard of the game and seen the movie, but he just loved the way it sounded. It described him perfectly.  
  
Because, after all, Draco was the Resident Evil of Hogwarts.  
  
*** Sorry the chapter is kind of short, but I kind of had to end it there. Please review, and remember that the more reviews I get, the faster I update! 


	2. Who the Hell is This?

Author's Note: Man, it is really hard trying to juggle even just two stories at once. No wonder some people never update. Anyways, I salute all authors writing more than one story at once. Keep on truckin'!  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue (although I do own this disclaimer so you steal my saying you die)  
  
You've Got Mail: Ch.2-Who the Hell Is This???  
  
Draco raised an eyebrow at the screen that just popped up on his computer screen. He didn't know a pyropinkmonkey12, hell, he barely talked to anyone online!  
  
Nevertheless, he was intrigued, and so accepted the message. There was a small ping.  
  
Pyropinkmonkey12: Hey!  
  
Unsure of what to do next, he wrote in the safe reply.  
  
ResidentEvil: Hi?  
  
Okay, so it was idiotic, but he didn't know what to say to this girl (what self-respecting guy would have pinkmonkey as a part of their screen name). Her reply came quickly enough.  
  
Pyropinkmonkey12: Oh, sorry, Colin, I forgot to tell, you, I just got this brand new computer, and this is my new screen name! Cool huh?  
  
Draco's eyebrow arched higher at the 'Colin' part.  
  
ResidentEvil: Sorry to burst your bubble, but I'm not Colin.  
  
Pyropinkmonkey12: What?  
  
God this girl was dense.  
  
ResidentEvil: I'm not Colin or whomever you think. My name is Matt.  
  
Draco always gave out fake names on the Internet. He couldn't let anyone know that he enjoyed such lowly Muggle things like computers.  
  
Pyropinkmonkey12: Oh. Sorry I bothered you.  
  
Oddly enough, when Draco read that, he almost felt, bad. He could just see the girl, sitting at her computer, feeling utterly stupid for instant messaging the wrong guy. At least she hadn't said anything lovey- dovey, thinking he was her boyfriend. Now that would have been embarrassing.  
  
***  
  
Ginny stared at the computer screen in complete shock.  
  
Not only did she feel like a complete idiot for typing to the wrong person, she also felt scared. What if she had blurted out something about Hogwarts, or a new spell she had tried the day before? Most likely this was a Muggle, and one slipup could get the Ministry in her house faster than you could say "Crap."  
  
Ginny thought these horrible what ifs for a while, before snapping out of it and typing back in an apology for bothering this Matt guy.  
  
Closing the window, she tried to get her mind off her own stupidity by browsing through the links AOL provided. She was about to sign off and go sulk somewhere when she heard a distinct beep.  
  
The AOL message beep.  
  
It was even from Matt.  
  
ResidentEvil: So what's your name?  
  
Ginny stared at the screen. Another beep roused her from, well, whatever the hell she had been doing or thinking of.  
  
ResidentEvil: ???  
  
At least now she remembered her manners. She was about to type in Ginny Weasley, when she remembered one of Hermione's most prominent warnings.  
  
'Never give out any personal information. It may seem safe, but even the Internet has its own dangers. Be careful.'  
  
Ginny bit her lip, thinking over what to write.  
  
Finally, though, she sent one out.  
  
Pyropinkmonkey12: I can't tell you, but you can just call me Cocoa.  
  
Draco almost laughed at that. Cocoa?  
  
Pyropinkmonkey12: My mom always calls me Cocoa because she says that when I was first born, my eyes were a really dark brown, like cocoa.  
  
Ginny felt more and more stupid by the moment.  
  
ResidentEvil: Cool, my nickname is Dragon (I hate the name Matt).  
  
Ginny waited for Dragon to explain his nickname, but he didn't. Finally, with an exasperated sigh, she was the one to break the online silence.  
  
Pyropinkmonkey12: That's it? No story?  
  
ResidentEvil: Nope, someone just called me that randomly, and it kinda stuck.  
  
Pyropinkmonkey12: Ok.  
  
Awkward silence once more.  
  
ResidentEvil: How old are you?  
  
Ginny bit her lip nervously. She wasn't sure whether or not to respond to that question. There was another bing.  
  
ResidentEvil: I'm seventeen.  
  
I guess it's ok, she thought slowly.  
  
Pyropinkmonkey12: I'm sixteen tomorrow. This computer was my birthday present.  
  
Draco raised an eyebrow. Well, he thought briefly, I'm already talking to a sixteen-year old girl online, who is a babe for all I know, I might as well make the best of the situation.  
  
I think we all know what that means.  
  
***  
  
"GINNY! It's dinnertime!!!" Molly Weasley yelled from the foot of the stairs, tapping her foot impatiently. Ginny's reply came quickly.  
  
"INA MINUTE!!!"  
  
Molly sighed and shook her head as she walked back to the dining table. Ron, Harry, Hermione, Arthur, Fred and George were already eating (well, in the case of Ron and the twins, more like stuffing themselves), without waiting for the youngest or Molly. She sat down quietly, and began to eat as politely as she could, trying to subtly hint at her sons the proper dinner behavior.  
  
They ignored her.  
  
With an irritated sigh, Molly resigned herself to their denseness, and tried to make conversation.  
  
"So, Harry, Hermione, looking forward to your last year at Hogwarts?" She asked them politely.  
  
Hermione smiled at her, feeling the bond that comes of being one of only three girls surrounded by savagery. "I guess I have mixed feelings. I'm excited for school to start, but at the same time, it's nerve racking to think I'll have N.E.W.T's and then be going off on my own soon," she told the older woman, who patted her hand sympathetically.  
  
"It's like that for everyone, dear, everyone feels that same exact mix of excitement and worry. You'll get used to it," She reassured her son's best friend, then, with a change of attitude only mothers can fully achieve, she stood and screamed out at the stairs. "Ginny! You're food is getting cold!"  
  
There was an answering yell that was hard to understand, then loud footsteps as Ginny tore down the stairs, and skidded to a halt in front of her mother. "Hello mater," she said cheerily, and kissed her on the cheek, before almost skipping to her chair and sitting down gracefully. The entire family should have noticed something was up, but they were all too wrapped up in their own worlds.  
  
Fred and George were having their own mini food fight ("Gotcha, Fred!" "Aww, dang, I almost dodged that one"), which Arthur tried to stop ("Boys, will you please-Ouch! That was my eye George!"), while he simultaneously scolded Ron for chewing with his mouth open ("You look absolutely crass, Ron, please close it"). Ron brushed his father away as he spoke excitedly to Harry about Quidditch ("The Cannons are getting pretty good, reckon they have a shot at the finals this year?" "Really? I thought it was all over after that defeat in Puddlemere"), and, of course, Molly and Hermione looking strangely at Ginny who was eating her meal rapidly, eager to get back to the computer and Dragon. Occasionally she would giggle or grin for no reason at all.  
  
Hermione and Molly gave each other a look, and nodded their heads. Ginny Weasley, long time tagalong to Harry Potter and the Dream Team, had met a guy.  
  
And so it begins, Molly thought solemnly.  
  
***  
  
Later that night, at around eleven, Ginny was back online and talking to Dragon for about the fifth time that day. He was so charming, and funny, they could (and did) talk for hours about the most random things.  
  
But, as their conversations lengthened, Ginny grew more and more worried. He kept asking her personal questions, like her favorite subject or her school. She managed to avoid the questions, or lie, but it was all getting so confusing to her. Finally, she decided on a safe question, to see if he was a Muggle or not.  
  
Inhaling deeply, she typed in her question, and waited.  
  
***  
  
Draco took a sip of his coffee, and heard the familiar beep. He read her message, and instantly spit out the warm drink.  
  
Pyropinkmonkey12: Do you believe in magic?  
  
Draco was ready to panic. How the hell could he respond to that? If he said no, and she was a witch, he'd never know, and if he said yes and she was a Muggle she might get suspicious.  
  
He racked his brain for any option, and finally, with a sigh, he typed in the safe answer.  
  
ResidentEvil: No.  
  
After thinking, he added.  
  
ResidentEvil: Do you?  
  
How the tables have turned.  
  
***  
  
Ginny sucked in a breath as she read his answer. So that proved it. He was a Muggle. Feeling oddly depressed, she was about to write something else when he asked her the same question. Biting her bottom lip, she thought for a second, and then her fingers were flying over the keyboard.  
  
Pyropinkmonkey12: I don't know. I guess I believe in ghosts, but I don't believe in witches, and black cats, with warts and magic wands.  
  
Well, technically she wasn't lying. She did believe in ghosts considering how she lived with some, and all that crap about cackling, warty witches mumbling around a smoking cauldron while their black cats yowled in accompaniment always made her crack up. Nowadays, it was pretty hard to tell on sight who was a witch and who was a Muggle.  
  
Ginny felt pretty good about her answer, but she still didn't want him to ask her anything else, so she quickly changed the subject.  
  
Pyropinkmonkey12: So, what did you do this summer? When did you get out of school?  
  
***  
  
The next morning, Ginny slept peacefully, with the occasional snore or snuffle from her mouth as the only sound in the room. That is, until the door slowly opened, and a head full of short and curly red hair peeked through. The head disappeared, and there was a minute of whispers until the door opened fully, and Ron, Fred, George, Harry, and Hermione tiptoed in sniggering and shushing each other playfully.  
  
Fred counted to three on his fingers, and when the last finger went down, they all opened their mouths to wake her up.  
  
"HAPPY BIRTHDAY GINNY!!!!" The five screamed, and Ginny woke up instantly, screaming and rolling off the bed. When her tousled head appeared again, she looked livid. They began to back up as she got up from the floor, and advanced upon them.  
  
"Oh you had better run, Ron, Fred, George," she said dangerously, and with a roar launched herself at her brothers, who emitted girly shrieks and ran, while Harry and Hermione sat back laughing.  
  
Ginny chased her older brothers down the stairs, sliding down the banister to catch up. She hopped off at the bottom and ran through the kitchen, cutting off their escape.  
  
"No place to run, brothers dearest," Ginny growled at them, and the twins immediately adopted their a puppy dog pout.  
  
"But Ginny-kins, we just wanted to wish you a wonderful sixteenth birthday," Fred told her, while George and Ron nodded vigorously in the background.  
  
Ginny sighed and dropped into a nearby chair, the chase driven from her mind. "Happy birthday to me," she muttered, rubbing her face with her hands. She looked up at her brothers, and narrowed her eyes. "If it's my birthday, why the bloody hell did I have to be woken up at eight in the morning???"  
  
Molly Weasley bustled in to hear her daughter's cursing. "Ginny dear, don't swear," she said absentmindedly, then did a double take to the chair in the corner. "Ginny! Why are you up? I wanted to give you breakfast in bed!"  
  
Ginny glared at her brothers again, who took the hint/masked threat and excused themselves quickly. She looked up at her mother, who was now making pancakes, still shooting Ginny little looks every now and then.  
  
"I'd have liked that, but those idiots ("Ginny! What did I say about name-calling your brothers?) decided to wake me up early," Ginny said with disgust. She was not a morning person at the best of times, let alone when woken up rudely.  
  
Molly smiled at her daughter, who was currently yawning widely. "I know, how about you hop back into bed, and I'll bring you some pancakes. They're blueberry, your favorite," she wheedled, and Ginny ears perked up at the thought of her favorite breakfast food in bed, and sleep.  
  
She jumped out of her seat, kissed her mother's cheek and ran back up the stairs. "Thanks mum!" Came a shout, and Molly shook her head, simultaneously amused and saddened by her only daughter's antics.  
  
***  
  
That night was when the birthday festivities actually started. Charlie was still in Romania, but Percy and Bill had managed to come (Percy was welcomed back into the family after the defeat of Voldemort) with their long-time girlfriends, Fleur Delacour and Penelope Clearwater. Her parents had even thought to invite Ginny's best friend, Colin Creevey.  
  
As soon as she saw him, Ginny almost squealed. Running and jumping over Crookshanks, she hugged him hard, before grabbing his hand to drag him to the computer in her room. Along the way she related the entire story of the mistaken screen names, at which Colin roared with laughter.  
  
"Are you kidding me Gin? My screen name isn't Resident Evil, it's Silentscope47, an arcade game," he told her, and she blushed a little bit as she opened the door to her room.  
  
"I forgot, okay? Besides, it isn't so bad, we got to talking, and we still talk when we're both online," she told her friend, who stared at her incredulously. "What?"  
  
"You talk to a guy online, you don't even know," he echoed dully, and she nodded, still confused. "Ginny! Do you realize how dangerous that is? Did you tell him any personal information? Does he know your name?" He asked with wide eyes, probably already imagining some disgusting middle aged man drooling at his computer.  
  
Ginny shoved him into motion as they walked to her desk. "Hell no! Do you think I'm stupid? We gave each other some nick names; he's Dragon and I'm Cocoa," she said, sitting down at her computer to boot it up. Colin whistled in appreciation.  
  
"Wow, this is really nice Ginny," he muttered, then shook himself back to the matter at hand. "Cocoa?" He asked her.  
  
"Yeah, it was my mom's nick name for me when I was little," she answered vaguely, but still felt his eyes on her. "What is it now?" She asked with exasperation.  
  
"I guess I understand, but.Cocoa?"  
  
Ginny's only answer was a cuff to the head as she dragged him down to a chair.  
  
***  
  
Bah, I know it's short, but I'm in a shitty mood right now. So just leave me some reviews, and I'll really try to make the next chapter longer. Toodles! ::Goes back to job of smoting and blasting random objects in her way, occasionally saying "Bah!"::  
  
Thanks a ton to my reviewers: Peaceoutgrlmehi, Rockelle, dragonfire29, Hpfreak8, Eve Granger, fearless-chaser, Jessiebear, The Totally Sarcastic Sprite, animezebra, Smudged, RosieLady, kneh13, KuTiExAzNxAnGeL, Bnnsfts, and anyone else I forgot.  
  
Special Thanks to my first reviewer, Emerald Storm1! You rock! 


	3. Diagon Alley, Shmiagon Alley

Author's Note: Heehee, so many reviews! I love it!!! Thanks to my reviewers:  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.  
  
You've Got Mail: Ch.3-Diagon Alley, Shmiagon Alley  
  
"Ginny, get down here, we're about to leave!"  
  
Said Weasley groaned and turned over in her sleep.  
  
"Come on Ginny!"  
  
She just groaned louder, grabbing the pillow and stuffing it over her ear.  
  
"GINNY!!!"  
  
Thump.  
  
With a feral growl, Ginny sat upright on the floor, blowing the unruly red waves out of her face. Eyes still half closed, she stumbled to her feet, searching around quickly for a pair of clean clothes.  
  
"Ginny!!!" That was Ron, and Ginny felt the distinct urge to smack him.  
  
It was already August 25, a week before they left for Hogwarts. And you know what that means; letters and Diagon Alley.  
  
Normally, Ginny would have loved to go, to browse the many shops and sigh wistfully at all the absolutely useless things her parents had the money for but would never buy. But that was before Dragon.  
  
As sad as it sounded, Ginny considered him a real friend. Most of her days were spent online talking to him, and though she still managed to keep him from knowing about Hogwarts, he knew most of the stories of her life, just like she knew his. She knew his birthday (January 14), his favorite color (black), even his favorite drink (it was a tie between espressos and whiskey). If she had a quiz on Dragon in front of her right then, she'd ace it no question.  
  
So, Ginny had been looking forward to a nice day of relaxation before she had to go back to school. Going online, maybe going for a walk, and most of all sleeping.  
  
And now, because of that blasted thing called back to school shopping, all three were out of reach.  
  
"Diagon Alley, shmiagon alley," Ginny muttered under her breath as she picked a shirt off the floor, sniffed, grimaced, and put it back. Finally, though, she managed to cobble together a clean outfit of her favorite black capris and a polo shirt. Since her computer, now that she thought about it, she was beginning to appreciate Muggles more.  
  
She heard a couple more shouts from downstairs, and after giving the laptop one last sad look, headed down the stairs, mentally bracing herself for what she could feel would be a bad day.  
  
***  
  
Draco wasn't doing too much better.  
  
At that moment, he was sitting in the huge dining room, grimacing as he jabbed at his eggs.  
  
He hated eggs.  
  
But, of course, Narcissa had had the bright idea that she cook breakfast that morning. Ever since Lucius' exit, she had been excessively upbeat. Frighteningly so, in her son's opinion.  
  
Naturally, this breakfast ended up being composed of most of Draco's least favorite foods, and tasting like crap. Draco managed to stumble through most of the foods, spitting half of them into his napkin and still making loud noises of enjoyment for Narcissa's satisfaction.  
  
Draco loved his mother dearly, but this was getting to be too much. Last week he had found her digging up his old baby pictures and placing them lovingly on the mantle. He had loved that, especially when she put up the one of ten-month-old him naked. And just last night he had walked in his room to find her cleaning.  
  
Malfoys don't clean.  
  
So, this had resulted in a huge row between them, one that ended half an hour later with Narcissa bursting into tears. Awkward wasn't even the proper word for what Draco felt.  
  
That was about half the reason why he was here at that moment, eating repulsive food and lying through his teeth. The other half was that he had already promised to spend the day with her a week or two ago. And since he had just gotten his Hogwarts letter, that meant Diagon Alley.  
  
Mental shudder for Draco.  
  
It was about the same thing as what Ginny felt. He really liked Cocoa, and the ironic part was that he had no idea if she was pretty or not, so he actually liked her for her personality. Cocoa was funny online, and she seemed to accept his vague answers about school and his family.  
  
That was the main thing that worried Draco. He hoped she wasn't a Muggle. He may like some Muggle inventions, but Muggles and Mudbloods annoyed the hell out of him. He sighed into his coffee. But, she was probably a Muggle. Her no magic answer had pretty much proved that.  
  
He was snapped out of his brooding by his mother.  
  
"Draco, honey, (he winced inwardly at the 'honey') we're about to leave," Narcissa called from the other end of the huge table, and he nodded miserably. With all the luck he was having, he'd probably run into Scarface and Weasel, not to mention Granger.  
  
Did I mention Draco was rather psychic?  
  
***  
  
Ginny stifled a yawn in one of the aisles in Flourish and Blott's. As soon as they got their money from Gringott's. Hermione had dragged Harry, Ron, and Ginny to get their new schoolbooks first thing, and they had been there ever since. Ginny was pretty sure Harry and Ron had snuck off to Quality Quidditch Supplies, but she couldn't be positive because she too was hiding from the boring-ness of Hermione.  
  
"Oooh, Ginny, come look at this, isn't it fascinating?" That was Hermione, in the next row over. Ginny slunk into a corner, praying the older girl would pass her by.  
  
No such luck.  
  
"Ginny! What are you doing there?"  
  
Ginny grimaced, and stood, plastering on a smile. "Oh nothing, I just had to tie my shoelace that's all. What were you saying?" She asked with a reassuring smile.  
  
Hermione showed her a book on advanced medicinal potions, one that Ginny oohed and ahhed at properly, before finally Hermione paid, and they left the store. They wandered around for a bit, until Ginny spotted Madam Malkin's. The two girls headed for it quickly.  
  
They stepped inside the brightly-lit store, hearing the ting that announced their presence, and within a moment Madam Malkin appeared from behind a curtain in the back.  
  
"Yes dears?" She asked them pleasantly.  
  
Ginny was the first to speak. "Um, I need new school robes, and a new set of dress robes," she said hesitantly, clutching the moneybag tightly.  
  
The madam nodded at her with a smile and turned to Hermione.  
  
"Oh, I just need some more buttons," the older girl said quickly, and once those were paid for, she gave an apologetic look to Ginny.  
  
"Sorry, but I have to go find the boys. I promised Harry I'd help him find some new ingredients for his potion kit. Let's meet at the Leaky Cauldron in an hour, at noon, okay?" Hermione asked, and Ginny nodded before following Madam Malkin into the dressing room.  
  
She had just been fitted for normal robes, and was now looking through the many racks of dress robes as Madam Malkin bustled off to fix the school robes and ring them up. Ginny had just picked up a dark green thin-strapped dress and was modeling it against herself when she heard a ting at the door.  
  
Ignoring it, she quickly changed into the dress robe, and looked at herself in the mirror. It was a perfect color, just like she knew it would be. She sighed wistfully.  
  
"What's wrong, weasel? Upset because you know you can't afford it?" Came a drawling voice from the door.  
  
Ginny jumped, then whirled around quickly to glare at Malfoy, who was leaning against the doorway smirking. "As if, Mal-ferret. I knew you were stupid, but I thought that even you would know who the present Minister of Magic is," she sneered at him.  
  
Malfoy continued to smirk, arching one perfect eyebrow slightly. "Oh, don't worry, Weasel, I know. And let me tell you, I'd rather not know. Weasleys with money, who'd have thought?" He said with mock surprise.  
  
Ginny's scowl deepened. She didn't have time for petty quarrels with the spawn of all evil today, and she told him as much.  
  
To her surprise, Malfoy, instead of cursing her or anything else, just threw back his head and laughed. Laughed. Heartily, too. He quieted to a small chuckle, and uncrossed his arms, walking over to where she was standing, still paralyzed with shock.  
  
He leaned in close, and whispered right in her ear. "Like I always say, you can take the Weasley out of the street, but you can't take the street out of the Weasley," he said nastily, and with that last word, turned heel and walked out of the dressing room.  
  
Needless to say, Ginny was fuming by the time she paid for the green dress, thanked the shop owner, and marched to the Leaky Cauldron at twelve.  
  
When she got to the table her brother and his friends occupied, she threw her bag down on the table viciously and fell into a chair roughly. Ginny looked up, still scowling, and noticed all three staring open-mouthed at her.  
  
"What?" She snapped at them, and they all immediately looked away.  
  
"What happened to you?" Ron asked with slight amazement.  
  
"Malfoy is what happened," she spat out through gritted teeth. Instantly, Hermione sighed, shaking her head, Harry scowled in anger, and Ron turned bright red at the thought of Malfoy doing something to his baby sister. Seeing the damage she had just done, Ginny hurried to calm them all down. "No, no, nothing really bad happened. I just ran into him at the robe store, we argued for a bit, and then he left. I'm just pissed about it, that's all," she finished. She didn't have to add in his last comment, she knew that would just send Ron over the edge and into psycho mode.  
  
"Oh," was all Ron said. Eager to change the subject, Hermione quickly asked what Ginny had bought, and she showed her. They talked for a little longer about clothes, before finally Harry promised he would scream if they kept it up. They moved into talking about Quidditch gradually, so by the time they were walking back to meet with the rest of the family, Ron and Harry were arguing, Hermione was laughing and all thoughts of Malfoy had gone from their minds.  
  
All but Ginny's.  
  
***  
  
Draco, on the other hand, was feeling pretty good by the time he got fed up with furniture shopping and left his mother to go back home. He had picked up his new robes, managed to sneak a couple illegal ingredients in his potions kit, made his mother happy by helping her find jewelry, flirted with several Slytherin girls, and even gotten the better of the youngest weasel in an insult match.  
  
He got online, and upon seeing Pyropinkmonkey12 wasn't signed on, sighed and began surfing the Internet, waiting for Cocoa. He was just browsing through Muggle music when he heard the AOL beep for someone signing online. Within a second a screen had appeared, containing the message from Pyropinkmonkey12.  
  
Pyropinkmonkey12: I am so pissed!  
  
Draco felt a flicker of confusion cross his features. He sat back to wait for her to explain, which she did quickly. In the short time she had the computer, Ginny had gotten quite good at typing, and was increasing her speed daily with all the talking to Dragon she did.  
  
Pyropinkmonkey12: I went out to get some new school clothes with my family, and when I was alone, I ran into a guy from school.  
  
Draco failed to see the point.  
  
ResidentEvil: So?  
  
Not quite the right response to temperamental Ginny.  
  
Pyropinkmonkey12: I AM GETTING TO THAT!!!! Anyways, he is a really big git, and so we immediately started arguing. The worst part was when he started in insulting my family about money, which is stupid because we aren't even poor anymore!!!  
  
Draco felt an odd swelling of anger in his stomach. That was odd, because not only had he never met this girl, even for people he knew well, he rarely ever felt so protective.  
  
ResidentEvil: Who is this bastard?  
  
Ginny had just typed in Draco Malfoy, when the unthinkable happened. Her computer, the trusty thing, had just frozen. Her brow furrowed, and she began clicking on random parts of the screen, though none responded. She used the random key combinations taught to her by Colin and Hermione, but nothing happened. Finally, with a frustrated growl/sigh, she unplugged the laptop, pouting slightly as she watched the screen fade to black.  
  
She booted it up again promptly, and within five minutes was signing online again.  
  
ResidentEvil: What happened?  
  
Ginny almost rolled her eyes. Gee, I wonder, Dragon, she thought sarcastically, before typing in her reply.  
  
Pyropinkmonkey12: Nothing, just my damn computer froze.  
  
ResidentEvil: That sucks. God, I really don't want to go back to school.  
  
And with something as simple as that, the whole question of who insulted her disappeared in Draco's mind, and he was kept blissfully ignorant for at least a while longer.  
  
***  
  
"MOM!!! Where are my new robes???"  
  
"Is there any breakfast left?"  
  
"MY CAULDRON!!! WHERE IS IT???"  
  
"Mrs. Weasley, have you seen Hedwig? I can't find her anywhere!"  
  
"Try the shed dear. Ron, toast is on the table, and hurry!"  
  
"AAAAHHH!!! MY HAIR!!! FRED, GEORGE, GET IN HERE!!"  
  
"Oh, right, sorry Dad, that was meant for Ron."  
  
"Hey!!!"  
  
It was a typical first day of school morning. People were rushing about collecting belongings, even Fred and George, who were out of school. There were bits of toast everywhere, random articles of clothing hanging over the railing, and a jumble of trunks in the front hall, and the four still attending Hogwarts were running about extra hard trying to stuff sweaters and books into their already full trunks.  
  
Ginny collapsed on the couch, still munching on a stray piece of toast. She dozed off for about five minutes before she felt someone shaking her shoulder.  
  
"Ginny, get up, we're about to leave," Harry said quietly. Ginny wiped her eyes blearily, still yawning slightly.  
  
"Thanks," she muttered, sitting up quickly and shoving hair out of her face quickly. He smiled at her, affectionately tousling her hair before he stood and offered her a hand, which she took. They were halfway out the door when Ginny gave a shriek.  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
But Ginny was already running up the stairs quickly. She rounded the corner into her room dangerously fast, sighing in relief as she saw the laptop lying innocently on top of her bed. She picked it up and hugged it to her tightly, before running back down the stairs with it still clutched in her arms.  
  
Harry, who had been waiting for her near the door, laughed when he saw what she had forgotten. He knew how much she loved that thing, though he didn't know the exact reason, and to see her holding it gently like an object of reverence just confirmed his suspicions.  
  
They walked to the car, a new mini-van that Arthur had gotten upon becoming Minister, and Ginny put her computer in her shoulder bag quickly, before they climbed into the car. All their stuff was already packed in the back, so they were ready to leave. Hermione and Ron were already squabbling good-naturedly in the back, and so Harry and Ginny took the two seats in the middle, then immediately turned around to watch the duo.  
  
Molly gave her two kids one last bone-crushing hug, and big kisses, then, to their embarrassment, did the same to Hermione and Harry. She let out one last sob, before closing the door, and waving at them tearfully as she walked back to the house. Arthur got in the driver's seat, and soon they were speeding down the road towards the train station.  
  
Once there, Ginny could have sighed in relief. This was her element, all the bustling people, the loud noises, the huge trains. She loved the train station, and had ever since she was a little girl going with her mother to see off Bill.  
  
"Come on, kids, the train will leave in ten minutes! Hermione, Ginny, you two go first, then Harry and Ron," Arthur ordered, glancing at his watch frantically.  
  
Ginny and Hermione began to talk inconspicuously, heading towards the barrier at a slow pace. When they were in range, and sure no one was looking, they pushed their carts through it quickly, stepping to the side to await Ron and Harry, who came through quickly at a run. Arthur came next, and once he was there they began to load their trunks onto the train. They said their last good-byes, and boarded the train.  
  
Once they were on it, Ron, Harry and Hermione immediately left to find their own friends, leaving Ginny alone. With a small sigh, she set off down the train, looking for an empty compartment, but finding none. At last, she pushed open the door to the very last one, and upon finding no kissing couples or nervous first-years, she sat down in the seat next to the door.  
  
Too bad someone was already sitting in it.  
  
*** Yay, I love cliffies! Granted, you all hate them, but hey, author's codebook. So far in this story I haven't really had a cliffie. Anyone know who she sat on? Guess in your REVIEWS!!!! 


	4. Train Rides and Announcements

Author's Note: Not much to say, except I was looking for some of my favorite stories to put them on my actual favorites list, and so I looked for stuff by Ace of Spades (I guess it has a 1 on the end, I hate that) but when I went to her site, there were only like two stories!!! What happened??? Anyone know???  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue. Oh and btw, a bunch of people have commented on Ginny's sn. That is just my email address at yahoo, and the pink monkey part belongs to my friend, Jessica, or on here, ScrewyLouie12. She made up a little song last year, that goes a little something like this:  
  
Are you a pink monkey? I'm a pink monkey. Wee-ooh wee-ooh wee-ooh wee-oh, Pink monkey.  
  
Well, if you hear it sung, it actually sounds pretty cool. Thank you Jess, I'm sorry I didn't give you props earlier.  
  
Damn the torpedoes, full steam ahead! (I.E., read on!)  
  
You've Got Mail: Ch.4-Train Rides and Announcements  
  
(Oh yeah, as to the person, gee, I wonder)  
  
Actually, Ginny didn't even realize she was sitting on a person until a pair of strong arms encircled her waist, pulling her back against an obviously male torso (not that way!!! Out of the gutter, people). A husky voice reached her ears, the person's breath hot against her neck.  
  
"I never knew you to be so desperate, Weasel. Finally over Potty head?" He drawled, and Ginny immediately shrieked and attempted to shoot out of Draco Malfoy's lap. His arms were still around her waist, so she fell back against him, and immediately started squirming and trying to shove his hands away from her hips.  
  
"Get the hell away from me you perv!" She yelled.  
  
She could almost feel him start to smirk. "If I remember correctly, you were the one who sat on me Weasel, and I have to tell you, don't squirm. It does the opposite of what you want, if you know what I mean," he told her. She knew what he meant, and immediately fell still. "That's better."  
  
Ginny scowled, and when she felt him start to move his hands up, that was the last straw. With a surprising jump twist, she managed to turn her body half around and elbow Draco. Right in the family jewels.  
  
Ron would have been so proud.  
  
***  
  
Draco scowled at the redhead currently sitting near the window. She was looking so utterly smug, smiling at the pages of the book she was reading. His scowl deepened. And then there was him, on the other side of the compartment, wincing every time the train jolted and holding a big bag of ice against his crotch.  
  
God were her elbows sharp.  
  
The train went over a big bump, and Draco let out a loud groan/yelp at the pain. Ginny's smile widened-Draco later swore he saw her smirk for a second-and he gave a warning growl. Any other girl would have recognized the signs of a very angry Draco and backed off, but not Ginny. She was too caught up in her own world of gloating to notice or even care.  
  
God I need some whisky, he thought desperately, and shut his eyes, thinking happily of all the stashes of liquor he had at Hogwarts. He'd be near them soon. He thought for a second, then realized something. Sleep. That would pass the time very quickly.  
  
So, with that idea in mind, he settled himself into a comfortable position, wincing when he had to shift his legs. He leaned against the headrest, trying to clear all thoughts of pain from his mind so he could doze.  
  
There was a big crash, and before he could even fully comprehend what was happening, he was on the floor, the ice bag had split and the ice scattered, and Ginny's book was flying into the already sore area while Ginny herself hit the carpeted ground next to him.  
  
Draco saw stars explode inside his vision.  
  
"Mother fuck," was all he managed to gasp out.  
  
Next to him, Ginny managed to push herself off the floor, and get herself into a sitting position. She too had been dozing, and was less than thrilled to be so rudely awakened. This was already turning into the train ride from hell; all the compartments with her friends were full, she had sat on Draco Malfoy, who had acted like a pervert while insulting her at the same time. Then, after she elbowed him, they still had to stay in the same compartment since there was nowhere else. Ginny had checked. Twice.  
  
And now the stupid train had stopped. And oh, there went the lights. Great, she thought bitterly. Next to her she could hear Draco try to get up, and when the train lurched slightly again there was a minute or so of confusion.  
  
"Ow! Weasley, get off me!"  
  
"Shut up, ferret, I'm trying!"  
  
"Not very hard apparently. Hurry up, you're no feather."  
  
"Watch that hand, Malfoy!"  
  
"Ah, ice down pants, ice down pants!!!"  
  
"Quit movi-I said watch that hand!!!"  
  
Then, the lights flickered on, and Ginny looked up, only to see Draco's chest right in her face. He was practically laying on top of her, and as soon as they both realized the position they were in, they both scrambled to move, Draco accidentally touching her hand.  
  
Eww, Weasley germs, now I'll have to burn my hands, he thought with disgust, conveniently forgetting that when she when she was on his lap he had no qualms about touching her.  
  
Ginny was thinking things along the same lines, except replace 'Weasley' with 'Malfoy', and 'hands' with 'entire body'. Once they were both up, Ginny retrieved her book and Draco held up his ice bag sadly, before they resumed their seats on opposite sides of the compartment, glaring daggers at each other.  
  
Draco muttered a spell, and instantly crystals began to form from the water in the bottom of the bag. When it was full, he sighed in relief and placed it again against his privates, shuddering slightly and closing his eyes again.  
  
Ginny stuffed her fist into her mouth, trying but failing to stop the laughter bubbling inside her. Draco cracked open one eyelid to glare at her. That just made her laugh more. Shaking his head while he thought of idiotic girls who do nothing but giggle, he settled back again, and tried to go to sleep.  
  
This was going to be a long train ride.  
  
***  
  
Most of the ride passed by uneventfully, except for little snide remarks and the occasional attempted slap (which Draco dodged easily; Quidditch paid off in the long run), until, finally, they heard the voice announcing that they were approaching Hogwarts and that students should change into their robes.  
  
Ginny sighed in relief. She was beginning to think they'd never get there. "Get out, I have to change," she snapped at Malfoy.  
  
To her surprise, he didn't even argue, or make some nasty comment, he just walked out without a word. Ginny arched an eyebrow at this, but wrote it off as Malfoy contrariness. Or he had some evil plot in mind. You could never tell with these devil types.  
  
She changed quickly, and yelled that he could come back in. He did so, already in his robes, and they sat, once more, in total silence, waiting for the train to come to a halt. When it did, Ginny rushed out of there as quickly as possible, happy to find her friends and leave Malfoy.  
  
Ginny was searching frantically through the crowd for any of her friends, and sighed in relief when she spotted Colin and their other best friend Aimee Lynndon getting out of a compartment a little ways away from hers. Aimee glanced to the side and shrieked in joy, obviously having seen the long red hair easily despite the crowd.  
  
"Ginny!!!" She screamed, running towards her friend.  
  
"Aimee!!!" Ginny shouted back, and they met in the middle, hugging fiercely. Aimee was half Muggle, and lived in a very Muggle neighborhood, making owl post impossible. In addition to that, Aimee went away to camp for a long time, so the girls hadn't seen each other in a long time.  
  
They stopped hugging to actually talk like normal people. Aimee was very tanned, which made her short, choppy blonde hair and bright blue eyes stand out even more. Ginny commented on that, earning a laugh from her friend.  
  
"It was camp, we were outside surfing almost everyday!" She told Ginny.  
  
That intrigued her. Ginny had never been to camp, so naturally she wanted to hear all about it. The three of them climbed in a carriage, and were joined by Dennis Creevey. The talk shifted gradually from Aimee's summer to Colin's, then Ginny's. She told them excitedly about her new computer, even pulling it out of her bag to show them. All three knew a good computer when they saw it, so they oohed and ahhed at it, complimenting Arthur Weasley on his good choice.  
  
"Turn it on, I want to see what it can do," Aimee urged her excitedly. Ginny grinned and pressed the on button.  
  
It was like that first day she got it all over again. No matter what she tried, it wouldn't turn on. Ginny sat back with a dejected sigh. Now she'd never be able to talk to Dragon again! What would he think?  
  
Aimee and Colin noticed their friend's sadness and took over, trying to think of all the possibilities that would make a computer shut down.  
  
"Does it need any outlets?"  
  
"No, Dad made sure it was wireless except for the charger."  
  
"When did you last charge it?"  
  
"This morning."  
  
"Did it fall or break somehow recently? Like on the train?"  
  
Ginny shook her head. Once the train had started again, that was the first thing she had checked. It had been in her bag still, safely tucked away and unharmed. Colin and Aimee sat back from looking at the computer, sighing as well. That was when Dennis first spoke.  
  
"Um Ginny?" He asked her shyly, and she looked up, startled. Dennis was always rather quiet, and he had barely spoken a word the entire carriage ride. "I think I know what the problem is."  
  
Ginny's eyes lit up. "You do?" She asked excitedly, and when he nodded, Ginny's face split into a huge grin. "Well then what is it?"  
  
Dennis looked rather solemn as he explained. "I read Hogwarts: A History last year, and it says in it clearly that no electronic like devices will work in Hogwarts grounds. Sorry Ginny," he finished, looking at her nervously.  
  
Ginny's face fell, and she sighed again before taking her computer back. "Well, I guess I can't do anything about that, then. Oh well," she finished as she started to put her computer back in her bag. Aimee shot Colin a surprised look; she didn't understand why Ginny would care that much. Colin mouthed the words 'tell you later,' and Aimee nodded. Colin turned his attention back to Ginny, and tried to cheer her up.  
  
"It'll be okay, Gin," he told her, and she looked at him with sadness.  
  
"Do you think so?" She asked quietly.  
  
Colin nodded and slung a friendly arm around her shoulders. "I know so. When we get to Hogwarts, we can talk to Dumbledore and see if he can make an exception for you. I'm sure he will," he reassured the redhead, and she instantly perked up, hugging him back and telling Aimee excitedly all about Dragon.  
  
Aimee was a great listener, gabbing with her friend happily long after Dennis and Colin had sat back in disgust at all the girl talk. Ginny was halfway through telling her a joke Dragon had said when the carriage rolled to a stop outside the Great Hall. They walked out quickly, and Ginny stopped her story to gaze at the huge form of the castle. She sighed in relief. It was good to be home.  
  
***  
  
Ginny yawned into her treacle pudding. The Sorting Ceremony was complete, the feast was almost over, and Ginny was more than ready to get back to her room and sleep.  
  
Oh, but I have to talk to Dumbledore, she remembered suddenly. As much as she wanted to log on and talk to Dragon, she was just too tired. Oh well, I'll make it quick.  
  
Dumbledore stood, and rang a little silver bell to get their attention. "Excuse me, students, I know you are all ver tired and anxious to get to your rooms," here his eyes twinkled as he looked out across the hall, his gaze lingering on the few students dozing at their tables, "but I have two small announcements to make. This year's Head Girl and Boy will be none other than Hermione Granger of Gryffindor and Draco Malfoy of Slytherin," he told the hall, and it immediately erupted in a mixture of cheers and boos. Many craned their disbelieving faces to look at Harry Potter, shocked that he wasn't chosen. Harry looked down at his plate, embarrassed at the attention, yet secretly happy so many agreed with him and thought he should have won the position of Head Boy.  
  
Hermione, glowing pink with pleasure, and Draco, wearing his usual scowl/smirk, stood up, and walked to the front to receive their badges. When they had returned to their seats and the cheers had died down, Dumbledore stood again.  
  
"The other announcement I have to make is regarding your Defense Against the Dark Arts professor for this year. As you well know, we have had some, problems, with securing a steady professor. We were very fortunate this year. He will be coming tomorrow morning, so you will see him in class for the first time. Your DADA teacher for this year will be the world-acclaimed vampire hunter Boris Ivanovich (A/N: cheesy I know, but I suck at name stuff). I am sure you will all make him feel welcome at our humble school," he added with a sterner look, eyeing the excited and some unnerved students.  
  
Ginny arched an eyebrow. Vampire hunter, huh? It sounded cool, but she had no idea if he was a good teacher or not. Ginny didn't always do too well in DADA, but when there was a good teacher (like Lupin, she had loved him), she could ace it easily. So naturally, she had her doubts about this guy. It seemed like she was the only one.  
  
"Wow, a real-life vampire hunter! I wonder if he'll show us some cool tricks," Seamus asked Dean excitedly.  
  
"Yeah, he'll probably have tons of cool stories!" Dean agreed enthusiastically.  
  
On her other side, Ginny could hear Ron, Hermione, and Harry talking excitedly about what they'd learn that year.  
  
"Wow, this is more exciting than having an ex-Auror, or a werewolf as a teacher! This is going to be the best year ever!" Ron told Harry through a mouthful of pie.  
  
Hermione grimaced and handed him a napkin before putting her two cents in. "I'm sure this will be very educational, but I'm not so sure about this being the best year ever. Malfoy's Head Boy, and that just spells trouble."  
  
"Wha' o' ou' mea'?" Ron asked her with a confused look on his face (or he could just be trying to swallow the huge hunk of cookie in his mouth, Hermione couldn't tell).  
  
She pursed her lips in a remarkable imitation of McGonagall. "Well, the Head Boy and Girl have a lot of power in Hogwarts. They know its secrets, like passageways and hidden rooms, they know the important news, and hold almost as much power over other students as teachers. Like the power to deduct House points, and give detentions," she finished with a grim look.  
  
Harry and Ron gasped, both with their forks halfway to their mouths. Malfoy, with the power to punish them. Now that was the stuff of nightmares.  
  
A little ways away, Ginny cringed at the thought. Merlin, she could just see him strutting around the castle, barking orders at people and randomly taking points off. There was no chance to win the House Cup for Gryffindor this year.  
  
"Isn't there anything you can do, Hermione?" Harry asked desperately, almost reading Ginny's mind. She craned her body to hear them better, all tiredness forgotten at the horrible prospect.  
  
Hermione sighed. "I'll try. All I can do is attempt to make sure that he has a legitimate reason for any punishments given out. But it'll be hard. I wish you could just have been Head Boy, Harry, I don't see why you didn't get it," she pouted.  
  
Ginny was surprised at that too. In fact, almost everyone in the hall was pondering that question, except maybe for Malfoy himself.  
  
***  
  
Draco sat at Slytherin table, picking at his dessert. Next to him, Pansy was doing her best to look desirable, but that was easily ignored. Earlier she had attempted to congratulate him on becoming Head Boy, but he had brushed her and her offers of 'spending time together' easily.  
  
He didn't want to celebrate. He was happy about becoming Head Boy, sure, but he knew it would make this year a lot harder than it already would have been. He knew others thought Potter should have won the position, but he didn't deserve it.  
  
Did Potter know five different ways to vanish a person off the face of the earth? Did Scarface know over half the medical potions ever invented? Could the Boy-Who-Was-Too-Damn-Stubborn-To-Die take down a century's worth of protective wards in less than ten minutes, in total darkness?  
  
Draco didn't think so.  
  
All that and more made Draco more than qualified to be Head Boy. Granted, none of the students knew this, or how he had learned it. Hell, Draco himself would like to forget. Learning with Lucius Malfoy wasn't exactly the most pleasant of experiences.  
  
Next to him, Pansy flipped her highlighted hair over her shoulder, adjusting herself so Draco could see more of her cleavage. He didn't even blink. Merlin, he thought with disgust, you screw the girl once and she never leaves you alone again. The bell rang signaling the end of dinner, and Draco stood with relief. He was dead tired, but he still had a lot of work to do.  
  
He walked to his room; the luxurious Head Boy suite located only a hallway and a secret passage or two away from the kitchens. Perfect for midnight snacks.  
  
The room's main drawback was its neighbor. The Mudblood would be right next door to him. He shuddered at the thought, before shrugging as he reasoned with himself. She'd probably be in the library or her Common Room all the time, hanging with the rest of the Dream Team. The Dream Team, ha, what a pathetic waste of air.  
  
He pulled off his robes and shoes, falling back against the fluffiness of his bed. He had a while to rest before his midnight patrol, as the prefects were the ones who had to show first-years around. Draco dozed for a little bit, before waking up, groggy and bleary-eyed. He sighed as he stood to unpack, wincing as pain shot through him. He still needed to get back at that Weasley girl.  
  
The first thing to come out was his laptop. He smiled at it gently, stroking the curve of the top with reverence. His baby. Draco pulled up the top and turned it on.  
  
The computer soon went from being his baby to being a 'stupid mother fucking piece of shit.'  
  
Draco sat back on his bed, glaring at the computer. It looked innocently back at him. His scowl deepened. He put his chin in his hands in the 'thinker' position, pondering what the hell could be wrong with the stupid thing. Finally, he remembered. That damn rule about no Muggle things working inside Hogwarts.  
  
He stood up quickly, swearing fluently. Draco ran his hands through his gelled hair, making it stand on end. He looked at himself in the mirror and frowned. I really have to stop wearing that damn gel, he thought absentmindedly, before shaking his head and turning back to the task at hand.  
  
Draco exhaled sharply. As much as he didn't want to do it, he knew it was a necessary evil.  
  
He had to go to Dumbledore.  
  
***  
  
Ginny stifled a yawn as she led the first-years through a maze of hallways, paintings, and moving staircases. As prefect, it was her duty to show them around the basic classes and routes, and to show them Gryffindor Tower. Finally, she saw the painting of the Fat Lady, and she sighed in relief. These first-years were getting to be a pain, shoving each other through random doors, and generally attracting Peeves. Ginny had already been hit by at least five spitballs from the annoying poltergeist.  
  
"Password?" Asked the Fat Lady regally. She stated it clearly ("Saxamaphone") and led the first-years in. She plopped down on the couch, gesturing towards the stairs.  
  
"Girls on that side, boys on that side. Go up the stairs, and you'll see a door with First-Year, written on it. Your belongings are already there," She told them wearily, and they obediently trooped up the stairs, tiredness hitting them suddenly like it had her.  
  
Ginny shut her eyes on the couch for a little, too tired to even think about moving up the stairs to her bed. I'll just rest here for a bit, she thought, snuggling deeper into the couch. She was just drifting off when she heard some rather odd noises.  
  
There was a giggle, followed by a shushing and a couple stumbling steps. Ginny opened her eyes fully, her suspicions about what it could be confirmed when she heard the distinct noises of kissing. Her lip curled in disgust. Gah, why was it that every single teen at this damn school had shagging or snogging on the brain? Her mind raced back to Malfoy and the little incident on the train. She scowled. Stupid git.  
  
The kissing couple continued down the stairs, obliviously stumbling onto an armchair near the fire. Ginny blanched, and she crept off the couch, tiptoeing past the two. While she was going past, she looked at them for a second, seeing only the back of their heads for a second.  
  
Black, messy hair and a head of brown, bushy hair.  
  
Now that was something to think about.  
  
***  
  
Hell, I am on a roll with these chaps!!!  
  
Thanks to the people who reviewed the last chapter: MelissaAdams, The Totally Sarcastic Sprite, rising-angel, Eve Granger, peaceoutgrlmehi, Arrietty Black, KuTiExAzNxAnGeL, ToOtHpIcK, snow-baby, little-rowie, Blue Eyes19, Cloud*Fairy, SamiJo, animezebra, Kneh13, RosyCheeks, hEaRtBrOkEn, Rockelle, cynthetic.  
  
Soo sorry if I forgot anyone! Please review. 


	5. The Bad Day

Author's Note: Not much to say this time, except that if you are waiting for the next chap of AAWIH, don't be surprised if it takes a little while. And oh, this chap was too big, so I had to split it into two.  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.  
  
You've Got Mail: Ch.5-Exactly How Much Does Dumbledore Know?  
  
It was dark. Midnight, probably. She was in a forest, in some sort of clearing in the middle, and Ginny couldn't see the sky through the thick foliage above. Disoriented as to her whereabouts, the redhead stumbled through the grass, shivering. She looked down, but it was too dark to really see her clothes. Ginny lowered a hesitant hand to her torso, and upon feeling silk, gasped.  
  
Ginny was stopped from further pondering about her location by the sound of footsteps getting closer and closer. Panicking, she looked around quickly, before spotting an old gnarled tree and racing towards it. She ducked behind it, wincing as she heard silk rip, and had just tucked herself into a hollow between the tree and some bushes when the footsteps reached the clearing, and stopped.  
  
She quieted her breathing, and listened. By now she was sure of it, it was two people, probably men judging by the rather heavy footfalls.  
  
"Are we alone?" Asked a rather whiny, wheezing voice nervously. She wrinkled her nose; for some reason Ginny was reminded of Peter Pettigrew (her brother had told her the entire story that summer).  
  
Another voice answered him quickly. "Yes, I've made sure of that," a deep, commanding voice said with a slight foreign accent. Ginny frowned as she tried to figure out where his accent was from, most likely Russia or somewhere in eastern Europe.  
  
"Now, I trust you have had sufficient time to consider our offer. What is your decision?" Said Foreign Man.  
  
Ginny could almost feel the Whiner sweating as he answered. "We still haven't decided. We need more time," he said desperately.  
  
There was a sudden chill in the air. "You have had enough time." His voice was coldly neutral.  
  
Ginny drew in a ragged breath and peeked around the tree trunk just in time to see the tall, hooded figure that she guessed to be Foreign Man pull his wand out and point it at a chubby silhouette that was the Whiner. He gasped and backed up, bumping his back into a tree. A ray of elusive moonlight lit up his face, and Ginny almost choked when she saw the blood- red eyes and the sharp fangs of a vampire.  
  
Foreign Man was edging closer and closer to the vampire, and finally he bent down to whisper viciously at the other man. "You disobeyed me. And I think you know the price for that," he said, and pointing his wand straight at the man's throat, cried some words in a guttural language unknown to Ginny, though she did start to shiver at the harsh tones and sinister sounding words.  
  
The vampire uttered a small moaning shriek, before he turned a deep, dark blue, and, to all appearances, began to shrivel and smoke. Ginny wanted to look away, tried to look away, but her gaze was fixed on the horrible spectacle.  
  
But most of all her gaze was fixed on the slow, evil smirk spreading across the other man's face.  
  
When the vampire was fully gone, he turned and briskly wiped his hands on his trousers, still smirking evilly. Ginny shuddered and drew back to hide again, but unfortunately for her, he had been trained to spot such movement. His eyes narrowed, and before she could even regain her breath after the horrifying spectacle, he had swiftly crossed to her hiding place and hauled her up roughly by the arm.  
  
She tried to scream, but he covered her mouth swiftly with his hand, smiling maliciously at her.  
  
"So.it seems we have a spy, don't we?" He asked her, piercing blue eyes glinting. Ginny whimpered a little, struggling to get out of his grasp, but to no avail.  
  
Suddenly, an odd look came over his half-hidden face and he cocked his head to the side as if listening to some voice in his head. He growled a little, and inclined his head slightly.  
  
"As you wish," he said in his strange accent, and before she even knew what was happening, the scene had changed to a ballroom with music playing, Ginny was now wearing a rather revealing but beautiful deep red gown of the finest satin, that rustled as she moved. And move she did; simultaneously as the scene and dress change, the man had spun her away from him, and onto the dance floor.  
  
Her body moved without her own accord, and so soon she was dancing back to him, though mentally she cringed at the idea. But when she got back to him, it wasn't the foreigner at all, but Harry.  
  
She was about to exclaim at seeing him, but he swiftly changed faces to Snape. In another blink, she was dancing with Lucius Malfoy, then the vampire, then it changed to Draco Malfoy.  
  
Sure, in real life she hated his guts, but that didn't seem to matter in this dream world that seemed oh so real. Now, all she cared about was being away from all of the others, and being with someone she knew  
  
He smirked at her as they waltzed, and leaning in closer, he whispered softly in her ear in a rather romantic manner. "Virginia," he said, his voice no more than a whisper. She practically melted, and leaned in to kiss him (the sane and rational part of Ginny almost fainted at this, but that's not the point). She shut her eyes, and was barely an inch away, when there was a gust of cold wind, and a sudden jolt that caused Ginny to snap her eyes open.  
  
And what she saw in front of her caused her to stumble backwards with a scream.  
  
It was Tom.  
  
Not the sickly vision of death that was Voldemort, or an evil ghost feasting off others. No, it was just Tom Riddle, her Tom.  
  
"No," she said softly, then repeated it, louder and louder till she woke up in her own bed in Hogwarts screaming.  
  
"NOOOOOO!!!!!"  
  
While Ginny was still getting her bearings, the girls sharing her dorm room were just waking up to see what the commotion was. Aimee was the first up, and she raced to Ginny's bed, scrambling to her side to try and calm her sobbing friend.  
  
"Ginny, Ginny, it's me, Aimee, you're at Hogwarts, wake up Ginny, wake up," she pleaded desperately.  
  
Finally, Ginny opened her eyes slowly, and breathed a sigh of relief as she saw it wasn't Malfoy, or Tom, or anyone. Just Aimee. She raised a hand to wipe her eyes, and shuddered slightly as she felt some wetness at the corners of her eyes. Noticing Aimee still looking at her with a frightened expression, and the other half-asleep girls making their way to her canopy bed, she forced a smile at them.  
  
"It's alright, just a nightmare," she told them reassuringly. Aimee gave her a searching look, but she just looked innocently back and Aimee dropped it with a shrug. The other girls complained a bit about the wake- up, but went back to sleep rather quickly.  
  
"Hey Ginny," someone said from a little behind Aimee. It was Tina, a shy, studious girl that rarely ever spoke to Ginny or anyone else. Since Tina, Ginny and Aimee were the only girls in their dorm not concerned with boys and fashion, she had felt a sort of kinship to this girl, so occasionally they talked or did homework together. She smiled at Tina, waiting for her to continue. "Sometimes I get bad dreams, but I've found it really helps to go to bed tired. Work really hard at a sport or homework right before bed, I promise it'll help," she told the redhead. Ginny nodded along with this, before she said goodnight to her and she went to her own bed.  
  
When she was gone Ginny looked down at her hands still clutching the covers and snorted. "Fat load of help that'll be," she muttered to herself. After her first year, nightmares of this type had been rather expected every night. Ginny had tried everything, but to no avail.  
  
Aimee heard her muttering, and guessed the reason with a wry smile. They had been friends ever since Ginny had woken up from a nightmare in her second year, screaming and sobbing. Aimee had been very calm, soothing her quickly and explaining that it was just a dream. They had been best friends ever since.  
  
Now, Aimee, began to get up. "Ginny, try to get some rest. You can tell me the dream in the morning, but remember what I told you a while ago. He's gone, gone for good," Aimee told her firmly and walked back to her own bed. Ginny could hear her softly snoring within five minutes. Everyone else was long asleep.  
  
And suddenly she felt so very alone.  
  
***  
  
Finally, though, Ginny managed to get back to sleep, shoving all thoughts of vampires, Malfoys, Tom and other demons from her mind. Unfortunately for her, the other dream was still in the back of her mind, so she kept replaying it as she slept.  
  
When she woke up again, it was morning and she had sweated through her pajamas. Throwing the covers off herself, she stood and took a sideways glance at the clock.  
  
And shrieked upon seeing she had fifteen minutes to get to Potions.  
  
She literally jumped in the shower, turning on the water with on hand while the other scrambled for shampoo. She washed her hair and was out and drying herself off in the record time of two minutes. Hoisting a towel around herself, she raced back into the deserted dorm room and to her trunk, throwing random belongings behind her till she found her uniform and underwear. Ginny performed a drying spell on her hair and her body, then changed quickly, before grabbing her outer robe, school bag, and jumping into her shoes as she raced out the door.  
  
And in her mind, all she could think the entire time was, Shit shit shit.  
  
***  
  
Draco Malfoy was also having a less than satisfactory morning. He too woke up with only a quarter of an hour to get to class, though he was going to Transfiguration not Potions.  
  
It was a stroke of bad luck that the class he was late for was also the one class where the teacher had never accepted his excuses, and he knew McGonagall wouldn't believe he was late because of Head Boy business. With a frustrated growl, he took a rapid shower and changed, leaving his robe unbuttoned and billowing out behind him as he raced down the hall, trying to fix his tie as he turned a corner.  
  
And ran smack dab into someone.  
  
He had been moving so quickly, he fell right on top of her, and they landed on the stone floor with an "Oof!" Draco blinked, and looked down at who he had fell on.  
  
By now, you really should have guessed it was Ginny.  
  
***  
  
Ginny heaved her bag over her shoulder, and set her attention to buttoning up her shirt. Right now, it was flapping open, and looking less than modest.  
  
She was just breathing a sigh of relief (she was going to make it!) when she turned a corner near the dungeons and ran straight into a tall blond figure. He was a good six inches taller than her, so she fell down on the floor with him on top.  
  
She moaned a little at the pain coursing through her head, and fluttered her eyes open. And gasped upon seeing Draco Malfoy.  
  
They both looked at each other with their mouths open for a moment, before they both came to their senses and scrambled up and away from the other. Ginny eyed him with slight confusion. His hair was wet and disheveled, sticking up at odd angles, and his robe was open to reveal an only half-buttoned shirt with a loose tie. In short, he looked a mess.  
  
Ginny noticed Draco's gaze travelling up and down her body, and looked down too. She almost screamed when she saw exactly what he was looking at.  
  
Her shirt was only buttoned in about three places, showing her bra fully, and her skirt was twisted around, hiked up around her thighs. Blushing profusely, she fixed her skirt and started to button her shirt properly. Ginny looked through a curtain of hair to see his face twist into a smirk.  
  
"My, my, Weasley, you just keep getting more and more desperate. I know you want me, but do you really have to throw yourself at me so much?" He asked her with a sneer.  
  
Ginny scowled at the insult, but she didn't have the time or heart to argue with him. Especially after that dream. She flipped her hair out of her face, perfectly ready to flip him off and leave, but before she could, she saw his jaw drop as he looked at her face.  
  
"Merlin, Weasel, what happened to you?" He asked, dumbfounded.  
  
Ginny was confused for a second, before her mind registered fully what he meant. As it usually was after a particularly bad nightmare, her face was pale, making her freckles stand out, and her eyes were bloodshot. She looked terrible.  
  
Ginny ducked her head, and bent to collect her books, which had scattered from her bag. "Nothing," she muttered under her breath, not meeting his eyes. "Just slept badly, that's all."  
  
Draco raised an eyebrow, but didn't question her any more since at that moment the tardy bell for class rang. They both started, before grabbing their individual belongings, and racing past each other, not even noticing that they had each grabbed the other's favorite quill.  
  
***  
  
Ginny stormed to the Great Hall, Aimee and Colin power walking behind her with amused looks on their faces.  
  
"I can't stand that bastard!!! GRRR!!!" She shouted as she practically ran to the nearest bench and threw her stuff down, then herself. Aimee and Colin shot each other looks before walking next to her and sitting down, trying hard not to laugh at her.  
  
It was after Double Potions. For arriving late, not only had Snape given her detention, he had also taken twenty points from Gryffindor. Twenty! Ginny could hardly talk through the unfairness of it all.  
  
Then, as if that wasn't bad enough, she had been called on to brew the potion du jour in front of the entire class. It was supposed to be something to temporarily stop time, called the Maltempo potion, and normally Ginny would have been excited to try something that advanced, but not that morning. She could barely stay awake, and that coupled with Snape breathing down her neck caused her to completely botch the potion. Instead of becoming opaque sky blue and rather runny, hers was a clear gel that when moved, ended up exploding bright purple mist over Snape. She probably would have started laughing hysterically, but the professor quickly stopped that by giving her detention for a week.  
  
Thus, Ginny was now on the rampage, and there was little her friends could do to calm her (though they had thought her potion mishap hilarious).  
  
"There, there Gin," Aimee said sympathetically, rubbing her friend's hunched shoulder. Ginny currently had her forehead on the table and was banging against it with a steady rhythm.  
  
"This has been the worst day of my life," she was about to bang her head again but Aimee had just given Colin a worried look so he slipped his hand under her head and gently pushed her upright.  
  
"What happened?" He asked with slight amazement. Ginny was never usually this self-pitying.  
  
She took a deep breath before launching into a tirade that they didn't really catch. "I had a nightmare about this vampire and this foreign guy who killed the vampire then saw me and said I was a spy then he talked to someone in his head and the scene changed to a ballroom and I was in this super cute dress but I was dancing with the guy then he changed to Harry then Snape then Malfoy's dad then the vampire then Malfoy himself but I was actually happy to see Malfoy and I almost kissed him then he changed to Tom and I woke up," here she took a deep breath, bright red from lack of oxygen and embarrassment.  
  
Colin and Aimee's jaws had dropped long ago.  
  
"Oh my god, that's horrible! No wonder you woke up screaming! How awful, Malfoy!" Aimee exclaimed. Colin and Ginny shot her a look, and she frowned. "What? Malfoy's a huge git!"  
  
Shaking his head, Colin turned his attention to Ginny. "She's right though, it sounds like a horrible dream. No wonder you're so edgy!"  
  
Ginny snorted. "That's not even half of it. I woke up late this morning, and when I was rushing to class, ran into Malfoy-literally. I was looking rather messed up, so of course he took the opportunity to insinuate tons of crap about how I was desperate, then he saw how pale I was and acted like he cared, then I went to class. And you guys know the rest," she finished, before remembering something else and pouting. "And oh yeah, I lost my favorite quill."  
  
Aimee and Colin looked at each other with their eyes widened. Ginny put her head in her arms laying on the table and continued to talk to them.  
  
"But honestly, I'm waiting to see how this day will end. What do you want to bet that I'll get tons of homework, or my detention will be really hard, or, hell, I can just imagine Malfoy finding out I had a dream with him in it!"  
  
Suddenly, Ginny heard a drawling voice behind her, the one voice she didn't want to hear. "You dream about me Weasley? Now that's pretty sad," Malfoy said.  
  
Ginny fainted dead away.  
  
***  
  
Draco's day had almost paralleled Ginny's in bad events. He had arrived at Transfiguration almost ten minutes late, and as predicted, McGonagall had not taken too kindly to his excuses or complaints or even observations.  
  
Who knew remarking that the middle-aged witch looked like a Hippogriff when angered would land him in detention for a week?  
  
So, he had realized he was treading on thin ice, and had backed off, agreeing to detention and taking his seat with only a medium-strength glare at the professor. They had learned some trivial malarkey about transfiguring specified things like a book with exactly two hundred and thirteen pages, or a Dalmatian with only fifty-six spots. Draco could have snorted at these easy tasks. He started when the Professor glared at him, so he made a show of rummaging around for his quill and a piece of parchment.  
  
Well, actually, he was looking for his favorite quill, the black one with the monogrammed nib. He had gotten it as a gift a long time ago, and had never lost it. But now, since all he could find was a light pink one, he began to get worried (well, worried and angry at the Dream Team behind him sniggering about the quill color). Where could it be?  
  
Then he realized. Weaselette had it.  
  
They must have accidentally exchanged quills in the scuffle to get their own belongings that morning when they were both late. He paled at the thought of a Weasley touching /his/ quill. Oh great, now he'd have to burn it.  
  
They left the class two hours later with a foot and a half long parchment roll due the next Monday, but while others (mainly Scarface and Weasel) were complaining about the workload, his mind was thinking back to the incident in the hallway with the littlest Weasel.  
  
He frowned. What was with her? Normally she always seemed up for a good verbal battle, but that morning she just hadn't been into the fight. And she had looked so sickly, wait a second, was he actually /worried/ about her? He shuddered at the thought. At that moment however, he was stopped from mentally killing himself by the fake tanned arm of Pansy slipping through as she sidled up to him.  
  
"Hi Drakie," she simpered with a flutter of glittery eyelashes. Draco's lip curled in disgust but she didn't appear to notice. "I didn't get a chance to talk to you last night. How was your summer? You'll have to tell me all about it (he prayed her next words were 'sometime, maybe' but no such luck) over lunch," she said as she steered him towards the Slytherin table. He looked about him wildly for some route of escape, and the perfect idea hit him.  
  
"Sorry Pansy," he said coolly, retracting his arm, "but I'm afraid I have to go find my quill. That idiotic Weasley girl bumped into me this morning and took it by accident. I'll just be a minute," he told her, mentally crossing his fingers at the rather blatant lie.  
  
She pouted, but he swept off towards the Gryffindor table before she could really protest. He was just behind the redheaded girl when he heard her say something that almost made his heart stop.  
  
Apparently she had been complaining about something to her friends before he showed up. He heard just the last part of what he guessed to be a rant.  
  
"But honestly, I'm waiting to see how this day will end. What do you want to bet that I'll get tons of homework, or my detention will be really hard, or, hell, I can just imagine Malfoy finding out I had a dream with him in it!"  
  
He started at the mention of a dream, before training and experience took over. "You dream about me Weasley? Now that's pretty sad," he sneered at her.  
  
She turned slightly, before he watched her doe-brown eyes roll back in her head and she sank off the bench to the floor with a slight moan.  
  
He certainly hadn't been expecting that.  
  
*** 


	6. Exactly How Much Dumbledore Does Know?

Draco sighed in relief as he made it to his room and shut the door behind him, leaning against it and shutting his eyes.  
  
After Weasley had fainted, he had managed to slip away, but once he had just finished his classes and was heading to the library to do homework when Weaselette's friend-the blond, chirpy one-had practically attacked him. He managed to fend her off and without anyone looking, he took numerous shortcuts to his room, yet she had cut him off a lot too.  
  
It wasn't that he was scared of her, it was just that he didn't want to lose his temper and end up cursing her. He already had enough detentions to deal with.  
  
Draco threw his bag to the other side of the room, and flopped facedown on the luxurious green bed. He was so tired, and the last thing he wanted to do was homework. With a small smirk, he took inventory, and the smirk widened when he realized the earliest any of his assignments were due was Friday. He had time to kill, so Draco decided to go and see Dumbledore about his computer.  
  
He placed a charm on the computer so it shrank enough to fit in his pocket (it could prove fatal to be seen with a Muggle device) and headed out the door to the gargoyle he knew guarded the Headmaster's office.  
  
Draco was just about to say the password when the gargoyle sprang apart to let someone out. It was that Creevey kid, the fan of Scarface, and camera boy. He gave him a light glare (he was a bit preoccupied) but that stopped when he saw the boy slipping a gunmetal gray rectangle into a bag. He wondered about what it was for a second, but then he was in Dumbledore's office and it slipped his mind.  
  
"Ah, Mr. Malfoy! What can I help you with?" He asked the blonde youth with a small smile. Draco got the distinct feeling he knew exactly what Draco wanted help with.  
  
He took the laptop out of his pocket and it grew back to its original size, before Draco put it on the desk in front of the old man.  
  
"I want to use my laptop here, so I need you to lift the wards for it," Draco said with an inward cringe at the words 'need you.' Malfoys didn't need anyone!  
  
Dumbledore put on his half-moon spectacles as he examined the laptop. "Fascinating," he muttered, before putting it down, and taking out his wand. "Of course, Mr. Malfoy, I'm sure you have very important things to do," he said with an extra eye twinkle. He muttered some words, and there was a swirl of light over the laptop. Draco watched with amazement, before getting his computer back and thanking the old man. He was halfway to his room when he realized exactly what Dumbledore had said about 'having important things to do.'  
  
Exactly how much did Dumbledore know anyways?  
  
***  
  
Ginny finally woke up, a couple hours later, in the Hospital wing. When she first opened her eyes, she immediately shut them again, feeling rather resigned to the blinding sterile white of her surroundings.  
  
When she got accustomed to it, she sat up and looked around her. No one was there, though she saw Colin's robe draped over the back of the stiff chair near her bed. She wondered for a second where he was, but then she looked up at the sound of footsteps and found him walking towards her, a cup of tea in his hand.  
  
"Hey," she said with a smile.  
  
He smiled back and ruffled her hair before taking his place in the chair. "How are you feeling?"  
  
She shrugged. "Okay I guess. Where's Aimee?" She hated sitting in this bed like an invalid, but most of all she hated being doted on, especially by Colin of all people.  
  
He took a sip, wincing slightly at the temperature. "She stayed behind in all our classes you missed to get you the homework, and explain that you had fainted. I think she also said something about kicking the crap out of Malfoy, but I can't tell if she was joking or not," he told her, causing the redhead to grin.  
  
"That's sweet of her. So when do I get out of here?" She asked him impatiently. He shook his head at this, knowing how much she hated being idle.  
  
"Madame Pomfrey said you were strangely exhausted, so you're here overnight at least."  
  
"Oh man," Ginny said with a groan, sinking back onto the pillows. Then, she thought of something else and sat bolt upright. "Wait a tic, what about my detentions?" She cried, knowing Snape would be less than thrilled if she missed even one because of illness.  
  
Colin sighed at her insistence to be let out. "Already taken care of. Apparently another student got a week of detentions too for mouthing off to McGonagall (here Ginny winced, she couldn't imagine anyone that dumb!) and so you two are going to do them together next week, cleaning with Filch," Ginny winced again, and Colin nodded. "Yeah, I feel for you."  
  
Ginny sighed dejectedly, and sank back again. "I suppose I can handle that. At least I won't be alone in my detentions. The thing I'm worried about is staying here. What am I supposed to do till I can leave? This'll be boring as hell!" She exclaimed, crossing her arms and pouting.  
  
Colin smiled mysteriously. "I think I've cleared up that boredom problem," he said with his eyes twinkling like Dumbledore. He reached under his chair and pulled out her computer. She squealed in excitement before remembering the problem with it. He noticed her visibly deflate and practically smirked. She was reminded of Malfoy and balled her fists in anger. Colin didn't appear to notice. "Don't worry, it works. After you got here, and were still out cold, I went to Dumbledore and asked if he could lift the ward for your computer. He agreed, so," without finishing he just leaned over and pressed the on button. Ginny could have screamed with joy upon seeing the familiar blue screen appear.  
  
She gave Colin a huge bear hug, and with a child-like smile on her face she eagerly signed onto AOL, almost squealing when she saw that ResidentEvil was already logged in.  
  
***  
  
Oh my god, I finished this chapter in like one day!!! And this is twelve pages!!! Woohoo!!!  
  
Okay, someone told me that AOL is America Online, and thanks for pointing that out, but since I live in America and have no clue what is the equivalent in England, I'll just keep having them use it.  
  
Thanks to my reviewers: (OMG, sooo many reviews thanks a ton everyone!!) I give it all to Mr. Black, KuTiExAzNxAnGeL, Hplova4eva, Freak Like Me, hpdancer92, pOtTeRcHiCa02, Lady Rex, Deatheater4life, little-rowie, cynthetic, Shuen, Shadet324, Heaven's Devil is Me, AriettyBlack, kneh13, and Eve Granger. Sorry if I forgot anyone! 


	7. Surprises All Around

Author's Note:  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.  
  
You've Got Mail: Ch.6-Surprises All Around  
  
Draco smiled as he saw Cocoa send him a message. It was odd to see on his face, and it felt weird doing it. He hadn't really smiled genuinely in years.  
  
Pyropinkmonkey12: I HATE MY LIFE!!!  
  
He raised his eyebrow slightly at that. In all these weeks, he had come to learn Cocoa was rather melodramatic. So, he didn't take this too seriously.  
  
ResidentEvil: Really?  
  
Ginny gave an exasperated sigh. Dragon was always so dismissive of her problems, it really got annoying.  
  
Pyropinkmonkey12: Yes, really. This has been the worst day EVER!  
  
Draco put on his best sympathetic face.  
  
ResidentEvil: Ok, ok. What happened?  
  
Ginny gave a wry smile at that. How to start, she mused. She supposed it would be ok to tell him about the vampire, he'd just think it was a crazy dream, but it was kind of embarrassing to admitting to almost kissing a boy in her dream, and she definitely couldn't mention Tom.  
  
She looked at Colin, giving him a look.  
  
"What?" He asked, blinking rather innocently.  
  
She made a shooing motion with her hand. "Get going, I want to talk to Dragon in private," she explained, and he sighed before draining the rest of his tea, giving her a last hug, and heading back to find Aimee.  
  
She turned her attention back to the screen and Dragon.  
  
Pyropinkmonkey12: I just had this really bad nightmare, then I woke up late, and I was heading to class when I ran into this jerk. We argued for a bit, then I went to class and got detention for a week and it was just a bad day all around.  
  
Draco scoffed at that.  
  
ResidentEvil: It doesn't sound so horrible.  
  
Ginny sighed again in exasperation. Trust me, she thought grimly, it was a lot worse than you could ever imagine.  
  
Pyropinkmonkey12: It was, ok? But I don't want to talk about it anymore; that nightmare was scary as hell.  
  
Draco felt a pang of sympathy. He frowned at that, but shrugged it off as a cramp or something and started to write back.  
  
ResidentEvil: Alright, you don't have to say a thing.  
  
Ginny smiled. Dragon was so understanding. Suddenly, Ginny's stomach growled and she looked down, surprised, before remembering that she had fainted before eating lunch. And she had missed breakfast, making her last meal about a day ago.  
  
Pyropinkmonkey12: Gotta go, I'm about to have dinner. Talk to you later.  
  
ResidentEvil: See you.  
  
Ginny turned off the computer and put it on the night table next to her. Her outer clothes, which had been on the table, were now on top of it, effectively covering it from view. She didn't know if it was a good idea to let everyone (including the Matron) know she had a laptop.  
  
She rang a little bell, which alerted Madame Pomfrey that she wanted something. In a minute the kindly witch had bustled over, plumping pillows and dusting as she went.  
  
"Yes dear?" She asked as she made Ginny sit up so she could fluff her already rather fluffy pillow.  
  
"I missed lunch and breakfast so do you think I can get dinner now?" She asked.  
  
Madame Pomfrey nodded briskly. "Of course dear. Are you all right with soup?"  
  
Ginny smiled; she was unmistakably reminded of her own mother. "Yes please," she answered.  
  
The nurse nodded and walked off, leaving Ginny alone with her thoughts. She thought back to her dream, like she had countless times that day. What did it all mean? Who was the foreign guy? Try as she might to concentrate on that part of the dream and only that part, she felt her mind drifting to think of Malfoy. No! She told herself firmly. He's a stupid git, it was dream that's all.  
  
She even managed to forget about him all through dinner, through Aimee's visit. Ginny didn't utter a word about her dream when they were doing homework together, or when Aimee was leaving. In fact, it only started up again when she was settling in to go to sleep.  
  
Her mind started to review the way he had been so gentle in holding her, but Ginny wouldn't hear of it. "No," she whispered to herself fiercely.  
  
"You know Weasley, talking to yourself is often the first sign of insanity," came that same annoying drawl from the foot of her bed. She didn't really want to look, she wanted to just die, but her eyes made the trip by themselves.  
  
Draco Malfoy was standing at the foot of her bed, near the curtain, his hands in his pocket and his face remarkably passive. He wasn't even sneering or smirking at her.  
  
Her face, however, snapped on a scowl as soon as she heard him. "What'd you want?" She asked viciously. Draco just tut-tutted and crossed his arms over his chest as he walked to the chair by her bed and sat. Her eyebrow crawled towards her hairline as she observed this, but he didn't seem to notice.  
  
"Hostile, aren't we Weaselette?" He remarked. She started to fume at him again, and he got to the point. "I need to ask you something," Draco said quickly. Her eyebrow raised higher. He needed something from her? That just spelt trouble.  
  
"What is it?" She asked before something struck her and she sat bolt upright to threaten him. "If this is about that stupid dream I'm not answering a single question about it so if that's what you want to know you can get the hell-"  
  
Draco cut her off with a wave of his hand. "Please, don't insult me. I'd probably end up vomiting anyways," he told her with disgust lacing his voice. She sank back.  
  
"Oh." Was all she said.  
  
He smirked. "Good girl. Listen, this morning, when we ran into each other, I think we exchanged quills. You have my favorite, and I have your, pink, one," Draco said as he reached a hand into his robes and drew out the pale pink quill. Ginny almost burst out laughing right then and there.  
  
"Is that all?" She asked him.  
  
Draco gave a small snort of disbelief. "All? All? For your information, it is not exactly considered manly to write down notes in class with a pink (Ginny frowned when she noticed the way he said it with disgust) quill," he informed her, and she rolled her eyes.  
  
"Geez, sorry I even asked," she muttered quietly, before pulling back the covers and climbing off the bed to go to her bag. Draco's eyes widened and she was about to reply something biting before she looked down and realized she was just wearing a pair of short pink boxers and a rather small tank top. She was going to sleep, after all.  
  
"Weasley?" Draco choked out, his eyes still fixed on her body. Ginny felt the distinct urge to scream and hit him, but she breathed in deeply and forced herself to remain calm. She hated turning into the timid mouse when he insulted her.  
  
"What's wrong, Drakie poo? Oh I see, you're embarrassed. Still a virgin, huh?" She said in a sweet voice, batting her eyelashes innocently at him as her eyes flickered obviously down to his privates.  
  
He tinged pink, before standing and towering over her. "Don't even presume to talk to me normally, Weaselette," he threatened. Then, suddenly, his face lost the frightening expression, and he dropped back into the chair with an exhausted sigh. "Why is it that every time I've seen you lately, it's either been in various states of undress, or you're doing something embarrassing?" He moaned while rubbing his temples with his fingers. Ginny arched an eyebrow at the sudden change. He looked so, so, human, sitting there whining.  
  
Ginny shrugged and went to her bag all the while trying to answer his question. "Like I know or care Malfoy. This hasn't exactly been the best couple of days for me either, as it's always me whose being doing the embarrassing thing. All you have to do is stand there and annoy," she told him dryly. He almost chuckled at her, before he stopped and realized what he was doing. He was here, laughing and joking with a Weasley! At that moment, Ginny had just returned to her bed, and was holding his quill out.  
  
"Here, now gimme back mine," she told him, and he handed her back her pink quill, frankly glad to be rid of it. She climbed back into her bed (Draco got a rather nice look at her ass but he just wasn't into it) and he left without another word.  
  
What's with him? Ginny thought fleetingly, before shaking her head. Wait, why do I care? She thought before shrugging and turning off the light. She just wanted to sleep.  
  
***  
  
Ginny woke the next morning, feeling refreshed and rather relaxed. No dreams last night, she thought happily. She even began to hum.  
  
Soon after she had awoken, the nurse bustled in. Ginny found herself liking the kindly matron, and didn't see what her brother and Harry meant when they said she was annoying and overbearing.  
  
She found out soon however.  
  
"Can I please go down to breakfast?" Pleaded Ginny rather desperately.  
  
Madame Pomfrey glared at her as she broke up bits of chocolate with a small metal hammer. "No, you're still weak," she told the girl sharply.  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes, an inch away from hexing her way out of the Infirmary. "I feel fine! Now can I leave?" She demanded.  
  
The nurse seemed to think for a moment, and Ginny resisted the urge to strangle her.  
  
"Fine," Madame Pomfrey finally announced. "But only after some chocolate," she insisted and Ginny agreed.  
  
Well, she really wouldn't have if she had known that in the matron's head 'some' meant 'as much as I can cram in the poor girl's mouth without her dying on me.' After choking it down, she changed quickly and, after grabbing her computer and the rest of her stuff, she went down to breakfast.  
  
She was greeted with a big hug from Aimee and Colin. She looked down the table to see if Ron or Hermione or Harry was going to see if she was okay, and Colin followed her rather sad gaze.  
  
It was Aimee who finally explained. "We didn't want to tell them because then they'd ask what made you faint and your brother and Harry would probably go beat Malfoy to a bloody pulp. While that sounds rather appealing I know, we just don't want them to get expelled," Aimee told her with a smile.  
  
Ginny smiled back, revealed that it wasn't that her brother didn't care about her. But, at the back of her mind, there was a little nagging voice. 'Yeah, but why didn't he notice he was gone? Too preoccupied to wonder where his baby sister?' She shoved it to the back of her thoughts, mentally telling her own brain to shut up.  
  
They sat and ate breakfast quickly, talking and laughing, before the bell rang and they headed to their first class, Defense Against the Dark Arts. Along the way, Aimee and Colin filled her in on all that had happened in the one afternoon she was gone. Aimee covered gossip, while Colin told her about their classes.  
  
"The DADA professor is really cool, he's very mysterious, you know-"  
  
"And apparently, Lavender and Dean were caught in the broom closet, so they're pretty much out in the open-"  
  
"Yesterday was just an introduction, getting to know Professor Ivanovich-"  
  
"Also, you'll never guess who broke up! Cho Chang and Michael Corner! Can you believe that they were both cheating with-"  
  
"Aimee! Shut up! I'm trying to explain the homework!" Colin finally exclaimed, causing Ginny to stifle a laugh. Aimee huffed a little at being interrupted, but she let Colin talk.  
  
"Anyways, he told us last night about this independent project sixth and seventh years are doing. Since seventh years haven't done much at all with vampires, and neither have we, we're all doing this together. Each person or group, he hasn't explained yet, will choose a certain known vampire and research them. Then at the end of term we'll present what we know to the class. We even get to go abroad to research! Isn't that cool?"  
  
Ginny grinned at the prospect of travelling as she thought about it. It'd probably be rather challenging, but she relished the idea of travelling all over Europe.  
  
The grin dropped as soon as she walked through the DADA classroom. A small gasp escaped her lips, and the books in her hands tumbled to the ground.  
  
"Ginny? Are you okay?" Aimee's voice cut through her thoughts.  
  
Her lips moved, but Aimee couldn't hear her. She leaned closer to hear a few faint words, that made her gasp too.  
  
Boris Ivanovich was the foreigner in her dream.  
  
***  
  
Ginny sat at the back, watching her teacher, the murderer, shuffle papers at his desk. They were reading from the textbook he had just given them (It was called the Encyclopedia Vampira and had a horrible picture on the cover that caused Ginny to shudder and push a parchment over it), though the redhead was more inclined to study her teacher than her book.  
  
He had black, short hair that was slicked back, yet it managed to look shiny not greasy. His face was mature, and rugged looking, and his piercing blue eyes that Ginny remembered so well also seemed to be a favorite of the girl students. He had the dark and mysterious look down pat. She had seen many swoon or giggle and blush when asked a question, though frankly, she didn't see anything physically attractive about him  
  
Well, that and the fact that she knew he was an evil murderer.  
  
Even Aimee had giggled and dropped her quill like an idiot when he had asked her to read a paragraph. Well, first she had been rather cold, knowing that he was the guy in Ginny's dream (Aimee was a big believer in instinct) but then she had looked up and saw him up close, and turned stupid.  
  
Ginny's lip curled in disgust as she remembered this.  
  
So far, he hadn't really noticed her at all, except to comment that he hoped she was feeling better. Rather coldly, Ginny had just shrugged, incurring the wrath of almost every female there. Some glared at her, exclaiming softly, "Well I never!" to each other while Ginny just gave them the Evil Eye.  
  
Finally, Professor Ivanovich stood and cleared his throat at the front of the classroom. The girls looked up adoringly, eyes shining, causing Ginny to make gagging noises to Colin, who thankfully still believed her. Sort of.  
  
(A/N: I decided that Ivanovich has the type of accent where you can tell he's foreign, but it doesn't actually affect his words. Ok?)  
  
"Class, you may all close your books," he told them. There was an instant clapping as they snapped shut. "I'd like to talk to you about the project. Now, I have decided it will be a partner project, but to even things out each group will be one sixth-year and one seventh-year. I will choose the groups," he added rather sternly.  
  
Ginny shivered and crouched back in her seat. Ivanovich had a nasty habit of walking around the classroom and through the many rows of desks as he talked, and he was getting closer and closer to Ginny. She could see his bright eyes flicker to her every now and then, and his face acquired an eerie smile as he walked.  
  
She forced herself to tune back into what he was saying.  
  
"And so, there will be designated days when you and your partner will be allowed to travel almost anywhere, with certain rules. You and your partner will have a binding charm so you don't lose each other, a special map that customizes itself to your surroundings, and teachers will be watching you from here. And oh, you need to report back at night," a few of the more perverted boys groaned at this, causing everyone to laugh. Even Ivanovich chuckled dryly. "Very funny, but also very necessary. Anyways, we will have a joint meeting sometime next week, where you will find your partner. Then you will have a week to decide who you'll be choosing to study," he was now right in front of Ginny's desk, looking straight at her. She began to sweat and looked down, avoiding eye contact. "I trust you'll all make very good choices," he said in his deep voice.  
  
Go away, go away, go away, go away, Ginny chanted over and over in her head, clenching her fists under the desk. Thankfully, at that moment, the bell rang, and Ginny let out a deep breath, packing up as quickly as she could.  
  
She walked out of the classroom with a backward glance at Ivanovich. He gave her a cold smile, one that didn't quite reach his eyes, and she stumbled out the door as quickly as she could. Ginny felt like a cold hand had gripped her heart and squeezed.  
  
Ginny was terrified.  
  
***  
  
Draco stifled a yawn as he walked down the hall to his next class, DADA. He had just had History of Magic, and he was in no mood to go to another class, let alone do anything but sleep.  
  
He shook his head to wake up a bit, and forced himself to pay attention to the conversation his friends Stephen Nott and Pierce Avery were having. Apparently Stephen was lamenting the lack of hot girls in Hogwarts.  
  
"I swear, there's no one hot anymore! I don't know if I've slept with all of them, but you'd think there'd be more girls in this damn school!"  
  
Pierce shrugged, then he seemed to think of something else, and his face gained a dreamy expression. "I don't know, have you thought about that Weasley chick? Those legs, man," he trailed off, shutting his eyes and grinning like an idiot.  
  
Stephen and Draco just looked at him like he was insane. "You're joking right? Weasel?" Stephen asked with disbelief.  
  
Draco thought of the night before in the Hospital wing, and her pajamas. Then he remembered the incident on the train, and in the hallway. He hated to admit it, but Weaselette was actually rather shaggable (heehee, funny word).  
  
Pierce and Stephen were just arguing this, so Draco decided to step in and put an end to the argument.  
  
"Hey, you're both right. Pierce, Stephen, I've seen her, and she is shaggable in the extreme, but the pure fact of being a Weasley almost counters it all," he told them with a smirk, causing Stephen to laugh.  
  
Pierce thought for a second and shook his blonde head. "Yeah, I just meant for a quick screw, she'd be great," he explained, his face regaining the dreamy/perverted look. And he was gone into Fantasy Land.  
  
Draco and Stephen just gave each other disgusted looks, and decided to ignore their friend. He clearly had no idea what he was saying, a Weasley? Honestly!  
  
By now, they had just reached the DADA classroom, and walked in. It was their first class, though all had seen the ex-vampire hunter at breakfast the previous morning.  
  
Draco took one of his usual seats at the back of the classroom. Sure he was smart, but that didn't mean he liked the classes or the teachers most of the time. After taking out the necessary materials, he took the chance to survey the room.  
  
Dark was Draco's first impression. And rather bare, with only the desks, a blackboard, and the big teacher's desk. He shrugged mentally. Eh, it was like his room, but cleaner. And without a bed.  
  
He turned, to study the teacher instead. Boris Ivanovich, Draco mused thoughtfully, one of the most famous vampire hunters in the world, and he's here, at Hogwarts, teaching. Man's got to have a hidden agenda.  
  
Draco smiled wryly at that thought. He hardly trusted anyone. Not even his mother, really. Draco was a Slytherin down to the bone, unfeeling, uncaring, no friends, and just evil.  
  
He sighed as he brushed his silver blonde hair out of his eyes. Draco had stopped wearing it slicked back as soon as he had realized it made him look like Lucius, so now it hung in his face constantly. It was getting hard to keep being so evil. Since Draco's father was gone, he held less power over the other Slytherins, and it was rather annoying to keep having to beat the younger students into submission. Kids these days.  
  
Draco was stopped from further pondering by the start of class. Ivanovich stood from his desk and stepped to the front of the class. Everyone was silent in seconds. Draco quirked an eyebrow at this. The new teacher was good.  
  
But then the professor began to talk, and Draco found himself ignoring other thoughts to concentrate.  
  
*** 


	8. The Project

Author's Note: Sorry this chap took so long, but I'm busy with school, and AAWIH, and my new joint fic, As you wish. Check it out. Wow, I've got a ton of reviews!! This is great thanks a ton you guys!  
  
IMPORTANT NOTE!!!! I got a review from Sakura 1287. Which is awesome, because I really like her stories, but anyways, she was saying how she was curious about my story, because she has a similar one about Draco and Ginny chatting online. Well, I just wanted to say that our stories are actually pretty different if any of you were wondering. In mine, most of the story takes place outside the chatting, and it's just part of a bigger plot. So yeah.  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue. Well, except for Aimee, and Boris. They're all mine.  
  
You've Got Mail: Ch.7-The Project  
  
Draco walked out of the classroom with his face looking rather surprised, eyebrow frozen in a slight arch. Pierre passed by him, then did a double take, and frowned.  
  
"Yo, Draco, you okay man?" Asked Pierre rather nervously.  
  
He shook himself slightly, feeling the fog lift a bit from his mind. "I'm fine," he replied shortly, before speeding up, leaving Pierre mystified behind.  
  
Stephen jogged up to him. "What's up with him?" He asked with slight fear creeping into his deep voice.  
  
Pierre just shook his blonde head, blue eyes wide.  
  
In front of them, Draco's mind was going a mile a minute. That teacher just struck him as odd. His voice was mesmerizing, just like his eyes (inwardly Draco shrunk at the idea of thinking about another man's eyes, but he tried to push it back), and his entire manner was so utterly charismatic, it almost scared Draco. Around him, all the other students (he had DADA with the Gryffindors) were chatting excitedly about their lesson, and the upcoming project. He even saw a couple girls on the verge of fainting as they talked about Ivanovich.  
  
Not that Draco wasn't immensely interested in the project. He wasn't so enthusiastic about working with some wet-behind-the-ears sixth years, but the ability to travel made up for that in full.  
  
He smirked. Maybe he'd get some hot girl as his partner. All thoughts of Professor Ivanovich were soon replaced by visions of himself working the charm on his partner when they were all alone in some foreign country.  
  
Judging by how many times he thought of the words, "Oh Draco, save me from the creepy vampires!" you can tell Draco doesn't have much of an imagination.  
  
***  
  
"I still cannot believe you did that!!!"  
  
"Did what?"  
  
Ginny whirled around. "'Did what?'" She mimicked in a high voice. "You know perfectly well Aimee!"  
  
It was Friday at lunch, and Ginny, Colin, and Aimee were going to lunch after a rather dramatic DADA lesson. Professor Ivanovich had organized a sort of game, where the class was divided up into two groups and each team was awarded points for correct answers. The teacher asked for a volunteer to keep score, and Aimee just 'happened' to jump out of her seat, hand raised as high as she could, and run to the front.  
  
Ginny felt she was a traitor.  
  
But that wasn't all. The entire week, Aimee had been betraying Ginny with little things. She'd pass Ginny notes, then stay utterly silent when Ginny got in trouble for it. Ginny was sick of it, so her little act about being the assistant pushed her over the edge.  
  
Aimee stopped dead, an all-knowing look suddenly encompassing her face. "Ohhh," she said softly. "I get it."  
  
Ginny was about to nod in agreement, when Aimee continued talking. "You're jealous of me," she told her friend loftily.  
  
Ginny began to splutter indignantly. "Why you, you, you little tramp! How could you think that? I can't believe you actually believe-" By now she was stepping towards her ex friend, fists raised and face flushed. She had just lunged when Colin stepped in. She was actually jumping so high, that Colin held her petite body over his shoulder while she spouted profanities at Aimee, punching the air furiously. It was actually rather entertaining to watch.  
  
Aimee was rather shocked, but she quickly composed herself. "I knew it," she finished triumphantly.  
  
"OOOOOOOH!!!!"  
  
Annoyed at how many blows Ginny was landing on his back and shoulders, Colin put her down, put still kept a firm grip on her. "Look, you guys are both a bit right," he told his two friends wearily. "Aimee, you have to admit, this past week you haven't exactly been the best friend to Gin, nor have you believed her about the dream. And Ginny, don't you think you're going a bit far with this whole 'he's an evil murderer because he did his job' thing?"  
  
Ginny scowled. "Yes, I'll continue, and I told you before, he was NOT just doing his job when I saw him. He was making a deal, it looked illegal!" She argued hotly.  
  
Colin sighed, rolling his eyes. "I know Ginny, I know. But you have to admit, a vampire hunter killing a vampire isn't that far-fetched," Colin told her reasonably.  
  
"Well."  
  
He cut her off quickly. "And your dream wasn't exactly the most reliable source of information. I mean, you almost kissed Malfoy for Merlin's sake!"  
  
Her scowl deepened. "Almost being the bloody key word here Colin!" She exclaimed loudly. "And I know what I saw, you don't have to believe me but it's the truth."  
  
There was a sigh from Aimee. "That's it, Ginny!" She snapped, flipping her short blonde hair over her shoulder. "As soon as you want to grow up, owl me, but until then, bye!" She finished, storming off down the hall.  
  
Colin gave Ginny an apologetic look, before jogging off down the corridor after her. The redhead gave an inward sigh and adjusted her bag.  
  
Alone once again, she thought gloomily as she trudged off to lunch.  
  
Once in the Great Hall, Ginny clapped a hand to her forehead. She had completely forgotten about Dragon!  
  
They were going to meet online at twelve thirty that day, and after she checked her watch quickly and found she only had fifteen minutes to eat, Ginny headed straight to the nearest seat.  
  
While eating quickly, Ginny looked down the Gryffindor table and saw Aimee and Colin over at the far end. Aimee was scowling furiously, occasionally shaking her head vehemently to whatever Colin was saying. He was talking quickly, gesturing quite a bit to the area around Ginny's seat. She almost snorted. Whatever Colin was saying, it wasn't working.  
  
She turned her attention back to her plate. Ginny knew she should probably be feeling sad right about now because of the fight, but she really wasn't. Just like she always felt after getting really angry, she now felt cool, and oddly detached. That, and the fact that she knew she was right, kept her from bursting out in tears at the idea of loosing her best friend.  
  
She had known Aimee for so long, it was weird to even think of life without her. Hell, Ginny could still remember the first time they had met vividly.  
  
::Flashback::  
  
It was in Ginny's second year. She was late to Potions, and panicking. She was shyer than before since the events of her first year, and Snape had noticed. I.E. during class he picked on her more than ever.  
  
She burst through the door, panting heavily and looking rather disheveled. Snape was in the middle of talking, so he stopped with a smirk and turned to her slowly.  
  
"Ah, Miss Weasley, I'm so glad you decided to fit us in to your busy schedule," he said dryly. In a second his demeanor changed. "Twenty points from Gryffindor! Sit down! Now!" He barked, and Ginny scrambled to obey.  
  
That was when Aimee stood to put in her opinion. "Hey, Professor Snape, you're not being very fair to her. What if she was sick or something?" She asked him, arms folded across her chest. "Hm?"  
  
Snape gawked at her for a second. "Excuse me, Miss Lynndon, but did I ask your opinion? I think not," he sneered.  
  
Aimee was unaffected. "I just think you shouldn't favor certain students and penalize others. It's immoral," she finished.  
  
The Gryffindors gasped, and the Slytherins began to snicker. They could imagine where this was going. Ginny could see it to so she tried to hold onto Aimee's sleeve. "Let it go," she whispered fiercely. "It's ok, I'm fine."  
  
Aimee ignored her. "Just because you're a bitter egotistical git, doesn't mean you have to take it out on everybody around you."  
  
As soon as she said that, several things happened at once. Ginny jumped up with a gasp of "DON'T!", the Gryffindors moaned, and the Slytherins gave a collective gasp/laugh. Then there was Snape.  
  
"That is it!" He roared, slamming his palm down on the table. "Miss Weasley, Miss Lynndon, detentions tonight! And sit down this instant or it'll be five detentions!!!"  
  
They did sit, and the lesson continued with only a few differences. Snape was breathing heavily, and acting a lot more viciously to everyone. And, Aimee and Ginny were giving each other little smiles all throughout the class.  
  
That night at detention, they introduced themselves, and were friends ever since.  
  
::End Flashback::  
  
She was the first to ever stick up for me, Ginny thought dazedly. Not even Ron had ever done anything like that for me.  
  
She sighed, and gave another glance at her watch. Shoot, she only had fifteen or so minutes until their online appointment. Ginny was about to get up, when she saw Malfoy out of the corner of her eye getting up from the Slytherin table and running out of the hall. She almost giggled; he looked so undignified sprinting like that. Well, then she realized what she was almost doing and stopped dead. Shudder.  
  
Ginny was still shuddering a bit as she walked out of the hall and towards her dorm room.  
  
***  
  
Draco wolfed down his vegetables, not caring that he was actually eating broccoli for the first time in years. He had to go mail the permission slip for the DADA project to his mother, and he had promised Cocoa he'd talk to her at lunch.  
  
Because of homework, prefect duties, and Quidditch practice (though he didn't dare tell her that), Draco rarely got to talk to Cocoa for long at all anymore. So, he had asked her to be on at half past noon that day. Now all he had to do was swig down his pumpkin juice, race to the Owlery (while still looking utterly composed and devilishly handsome) then sprint back to his room.  
  
Draco half choked on his drink, glared at the first-years sending him strange looks, detached his arm from Pansy's, and ran off amid her shrieks of protest.  
  
Once at the Owlery, he slowed to a walk and approached his owl slowly. It was a rare black eagle owl with a foul temper, aptly named Tempest. Draco extended a hand out slowly, wincing only slightly when he (Tempest) nipped his (Draco's) finger.  
  
"Hey there, you big brute. Miss me? Or just my blood?" He told his owl dryly, snickering a bit when Tempest hooted in agreement. He tied the letter to the owl's leg, then sent it out the window, standing there for an extra beat to watch the sun glinting brightly off glossy black feathers.  
  
Well, then he remembered Cocoa and let out a stream of quick curses.  
  
By the time he reached his room, Draco was working up a sweat. He wasn't so used to this running all over the castle, and frankly, he wasn't sure he liked it. Too much loss of dignity.  
  
He walked to his desk, and opened up the PowerBook with a smile. It was such a good computer, that within minutes, he was logged on to AOL, and chatting happily to Cocoa.  
  
Pyropinkmonkey12: Hey, you're here. I was thinking you'd forgotten.  
  
No chance in hell would Ginny admit she was the one who'd almost forgotten.  
  
ResidentEvil: Yeah, I had to mail a letter. Well, and lunch.  
  
Pyropinkmonkey12: Lol, okay.  
  
ResidentEvil: So how's life?  
  
Ginny grimaced.  
  
Pyropinkmonkey12: Not so good, Dragon. I got in a fight with my best friend, now we're not speaking.  
  
Draco wasn't so sure how to respond to that. His first reaction was "Sucks for you," but then he realized she might be genuinely upset about this. Now that was strange to think about. Technically, he didn't really have friends except her; Stephen and Pierce were his lackies, and Crabbe and Goyle were more like goons. Hesitantly, he typed out what he hoped was a comforting response.  
  
ResidentEvil: I'm sorry, it must suck.  
  
Ginny rolled her eyes. Dragon wasn't exactly the best at kind words, but she still enjoyed talking to him.  
  
Pyropinkmonkey12: Yeah, well, I'm fine, it's just kinda annoying. I know I'm right, but she won't believe me.  
  
He quirked an eyebrow. He wanted to question her further, but it was obvious that she wanted to change the subject.  
  
Pyropinkmonkey12: So how are you?  
  
ResidentEvil: Meh. Could be better could be worse.  
  
Pyropinkmonkey12: Lol.  
  
Ginny couldn't help but smile. Dragon had that effect on her.  
  
ResidentEvil: But I am rather excited; in one of my classes we have this huge project, but we get to travel for it. It's a partner thing though, so I am a bit nervous about who I'm with.  
  
Ginny frowned. Their project sounded quite a bit like the DADA one.  
  
Pyropinkmonkey12: What subject?  
  
Draco blanched. His response was a lot slower than usual. Mentally he reviewed all Muggle courses he knew, then chose one at random.  
  
ResidentEvil: It's English.  
  
He prayed silently that that was right. He needn't have worried, Ginny had no idea if that was right, so she took his word for it.  
  
Pyropinkmonkey12: Cool.  
  
Draco breathed out in relief. For not the first time, he wondered what he could do if he let something magical slip to her. Track her down and just Obliviate the girl? Or just vanish off the face of the Internet?  
  
He frowned. He hoped it wouldn't come to that, he enjoyed talking to Cocoa.  
  
***  
  
The weekend and the next couple of days passed by in the same manner for Draco and Ginny. They did their homework, talked online, and in Ginny's case, hated the DADA professor and ignored Aimee completely.  
  
Ginny sighed. It was Wednesday night, and she was heading to the DADA project meeting, alone. Aimee was still not talking to her, and Colin was spending most of his time trying with her, leaving her with the option of making new friends or hanging out with the Dream Team, neither of which she wanted to do. Ginny didn't really blame Colin, but she did hate the general situation.  
  
She stepped inside the large classroom, and looked around a bit. The professor wasn't there yet, thank God, but almost everyone else was. Ginny smiled a bit wryly when she saw the distinction between the houses. Sure, most Hufflepuffs were chatting with Gryffindors and Ravenclaws, and vice versa, but clear on the other side of the room, casting dark looks at the others, were the Slytherins. Well, to be fair, most of the other students were glaring right back at them.  
  
Ginny looked over the Gryffindors, hoping for a place to sit. There was Colin, over in a corner, but Aimee was with him, so she couldn't sit there. Hey, there was her brother, Harry, and Hermione. Harry and Hermione were sitting a bit closer than normal, and Ginny shuddered at the memory of seeing them snogging in the common room. She could do without that imagery, thanks.  
  
Hermione spotted Ginny, and waved to her, pointing at the seat next to her. She smiled in relief and started over, but then Neville walked up and sat right down. Ginny could see an apologetic look from the older girl's face, so she gave a shrug as an answer. She would've been upset, anytime before, but this was such typical behavior from her Ron and his friends that she didn't care much anymore. Ginny continued looking for a seat.  
  
"Ginny!"  
  
She turned around, and saw her shy dorm mate Tina waving at her from the side of the room. She patted the seat next to her, and Ginny smiled back before heading towards it.  
  
"Whew, thanks," said Ginny as she sat down. "I was beginning to think I'd have to sit with the Slytherins!"  
  
Tina laughed at that, but they were stopped from further conversation by the arrival of Professor Ivanovich. He swept majestically into the room, and everyone was silent in moments. He gave them a rather evil smile before he started to talk.  
  
"Good evening students, I know you all have homework to work on so I won't keep you long. As you all know, we are here to get assigned partners for the vampire project, but that will be all for tonight. Next week, same time, you and your partner will inform me which vampire you have chosen," he told the silent classroom. Suddenly, he smiled, and clapped his hands eagerly. "Let's begin! When I call your name, come up here to get a packet and then you may leave with your partner."  
  
He began reading off names. Ginny tuned out to most of them, catching only those she knew. Colin was with some Ravenclaw guy named Terry Boot, and Aimee with a Hufflepuff girl, Hannah Abbott. Ron was unlucky enough to get a Slytherin girl, who looked rather like she could take him in a fight, Hermione was with a Hufflepuff, and Harry was one of the lucky few paired with someone from his house, in this case, Tina. They all left, and pretty soon there were very few left. And then.  
  
"Virginia Weasley and Draco Malfoy!"  
  
***  
  
Draco groaned when he heard his name called right after the Weasel's. Across the room, he heard her do the same and smirked a bit. Good, at least the brat realized this wouldn't be fun.  
  
He stood elegantly, and swaggered up to the teacher, knocking her hand out of the way to grab the packet. Ignoring her "humph!" of protest he walked out, leaving her to scurry behind him.  
  
When they were outside the door, he stopped and turned around, almost bumping into her. He glared, and she backed away slightly.  
  
"Listen, Weasley, you don't like me and I definitely don't like you, but I want to get a good grade on this, so let's just work on this as quickly as we can and get it over with," he drawled with an edge of disgust lacing his voice.  
  
Ginny's face flushed a bit. "Fine," she muttered. His lips curled into a malicious smirk. At least she knew he was right.  
  
"Good then, let's meet in the library tomorrow at lunch. I'll bring the packet," Draco told her, and before she could respond, he was stalking down the hall, robe billowing out behind him.  
  
***  
  
Well, I think I'll end it there. I know, I know, super predictable, but oh well. Thanks a ton to all my reviewers:  
  
Irishdancer61790, meishame, Draconigena1, Queen-Ditz, Aibi, Cassee, pOtTeRcHicA02, swt-angel-babi3, Lily Reeds, Heidi-Ravenclawgurl, ToOtHpIcK (Why the crap do you have to have such an annoying name, lol!), BluStarr (Ok, they'll go there!), ArriettyBlack, Rose-Kaliba, MaurderMoonyLover, Gusha, I give it all to Mr. Black, weasleygrrrl18, Cadence Arith, Sailor- Serena 1, KuTiExAzNxAnGeL, Yammas, little-rowie, Deatheater4life (yes its finally out, heehee), Hplova4eva, scholcomp25, sweetstar3, Yamis-girl202, Cynthetic.  
  
Super sorry if I forgot anyone, and if you want me to email you when I update, email me at eradicati@aol.com  
  
Review!  
  
*Marvindamartian* 


	9. William Claydor

Author's Notes: Ah, another chap, successfully finished. As for those of you waiting on AAWIH, yeah, it might take a while. But hopefully, it'll be worth it!! And oh, in my other story, my one shot You've Got a Choice, I forgot to mention, but it takes place right after the Chamber. And no, the older boy is not Draco. Its just some random dude.  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue. Have all you lawyers out there gotten the hint yet? ::A loud "NO!":: Fine then. Be that way.  
  
Dedication: This chapter is dedicated to my new online friends, Laura (the first of my online buddies!), or ToOtHpIcK on ff.net, Champagne (I've missed you girl!), or That's-So-Raven, and Kerri (I will kick your ass eventually Ghostie McPaley!), or Sic Dreams Inc. CHECK THEIR STORIES OUT, THEY'RE ALL REALLY GOOD!!!  
  
You've Got Mail: Ch.8-William Claydor  
  
Her hand traveled out to the door handle, but hesitated before reaching its destination. She bit her lip.  
  
It was Thursday, and she was just about to go into the library to meet Malfoy to start work on their project. She shuddered at the mere thought.  
  
Ginny was just contemplating whether she should go in or just ditch him, when the door she was half leaning on opened. She tumbled through, and into the person on the other side.  
  
"Ugh! Geroff me Weasley!" Damn. It was him. Though, as Ginny reasoned with herself, she probably should have expected that.  
  
She shoved herself off him, managing to elbow him in the ribs while doing it. "Like I that," she sneered. "Or maybe you just did. Missing me so soon?"  
  
He grimaced. "I think not. I mean, why would anyone miss filth? Oh wait, I'm telling you this, never mind."  
  
She started to flush, but ignored it by brushing past him into the library. "Shut up you bastard, now hurry up and get in so we can get this over with," Ginny told him in an exasperated tone. Draco followed her, grumbling slightly.  
  
Pretty soon they had themselves situated at a table in the back, and were rifling through many vampire books, searching for a good research person. Ginny was bored out of her mind. Draco appeared indifferent, and was flipping the pages with a steady rhythm, occasionally pausing at one page, or marking them with a finger. She was just kind of staring at the words, not reading but not doing much else.  
  
She was dead tired. The previous night, she had had another nightmare, but this time when she woke up, there was no Aimee to comfort her, just Tina. The blonde in question had 'slept' right through her screams, snoring in a very loud and fake manner. Damn her.  
  
Ginny shut her eyes briefly, considering dozing off, before remembering the presence of her nemesis. She opened them again, and resumed her staring at a piece of-what the hell was that?-on the wall.  
  
"Stop looking at me Weasley," Draco commanded. His voice was muffled slightly by the book in front of his face but she could still hear the monotone clearly.  
  
She colored. She hadn't been looking straight at him, but Ginny guessed that from his perspective it looked like she was gazing at him adoringly. She shuddered inwardly.  
  
"I am not staring at you, I'm staring at that thing on the wall behind you," Ginny argued hotly.  
  
He turned slightly to look at the wall. "That's disgusting," he remarked, before snapping out of his trance like state and remembering Ginny's non- work habits. "Hey! However nasty that thing is, it's not an excuse not to work! Hop to it!"  
  
She just stared at him. "No," she said quietly.  
  
Gray eyes narrowed. "Weasley, I mean it, start working."  
  
"No. Don't tell me what to do." Her voice was clearer now, and it seemed bit amused.  
  
"Weasley." he growled.  
  
Ginny batted her eyelashes innocently. "Yes?"  
  
"ERGH!" And with that, Draco threw a book at the wall, causing Ginny to raise an eyebrow. Someone's stressed, she thought dryly. "Listen Weasley, I don't have time for this, I have places to be, so get cracking dammit!"  
  
Ginny's head snapped back at his harsh tone. "Geez, fine, no need to get a heart attack Ferret," she muttered, pulling the library copy of Researching Vampires For Dummies towards herself.  
  
His eyes narrowed again, but he decided it might be in his best interest to stay silent. Rather smart of him, I must say.  
  
They were working in silence for another couple minutes, and Ginny started to get bored again. Suddenly, there was a rather loud grumble, and Draco looked up in surprise.  
  
"What was that?" He asked with a slightly confused expression.  
  
Ginny flushed. "My stomach, I-uh, missed lunch and breakfast this morning was a piece of toast. I guess I'm hungry," she finished. He smirked at her, and went back to his reading, but was interrupted by another growl. This time however, it came from him. Now it was Ginny's turn to look up in surprised mirth, and his turn to blush slightly.  
  
"Guess I'm hungry too," he mumbled, causing Ginny to laugh. He looked back up and glared at her, but stopped as soon as he saw her packing up her belongings. "What are you doing?"  
  
She rolled her eyes and stood, putting on her bag. "Hmm, let's think about this. We're both hungry, it's after lunch and we have more free time. Whatever shall we do?" Ginny asked in mock surprise. His face lost the confused look, and he started to grin.  
  
"Kitchens, I presume?" He inquired.  
  
Ginny grinned slightly. "Oh yeah."  
  
Draco gave a small sigh. "Alright then, but at least take a couple books, I wasn't kidding when I said I wanted this done quick," he told her sternly.  
  
Only too happy to be getting out, Ginny nodded enthusiastically and grabbed some books off the table before almost skipping out of the library, ignoring his cries of protest at being left behind.  
  
***  
  
Draco trailed behind her, grimacing slightly. He still couldn't believe he was going to raid the kitchens with none other than the Weasley brat. Granted, he was starving, but still, it was the principle of the matter.  
  
He shifted the vampire tome to under his other arm. Why the hell did they even have to do this bloody project? Sure, he knew their teacher was an ex-vampire hunter, but this seemed a wee bit like overkill to Draco. He looked up from staring at the cover, and saw the redhead move to walk into one of the main hallways.  
  
"No!" He cried out suddenly, reaching out and grabbing her wrist. She twisted around confused, and Draco started to explain. "Think about it Weasley. That's the main hallway, with tons of students. How would it look to say, your brother if he saw us walking along, not at each others throats?"  
  
Ginny bit her lip. "I hadn't thought of that," she replied hesitantly.  
  
Draco smirked, and dropped her arm. "Of course you didn't. You are a Weasley right?" And with that he was walking down another hall, leaving Ginny to fume behind him.  
  
Soon, they were standing in front of the fruit bowl painting, and Ginny was tickling the pear delicately. The door appeared, and they stepped through, only to be immediately barraged by the house elves.  
  
"Miss Wheezy!! Dobby is happy to see you, oh yes!" Dobby squealed at her, bowing low enough that his over sized baseball cap touched the floor. Ginny smiled at him and knelt, uncomfortable with the bowing.  
  
"Hey Dobby, it's good to see you again too, I haven't been in here since last year! I've missed you guys!" She cried happily.  
  
Dobby flushed at the compliment. "Miss Wheezy is kind to Dobby. What is you wanting now?"  
  
Ginny stood again, and walked closer to Draco. "I'd like a ham and cheese sandwich, but I don't know about him," she said, jerking her head to indicate the boy next to her. Dobby followed her gaze, and deflated visibly.  
  
"Master Draco," he quivered, bowing again, even deeper. Draco sighed.  
  
"Yeah, hi Dobby, look, there's no need to bow to me anymore, I'm not your master and I haven't been for about five years," he said firmly.  
  
Dobby nodded vigorously, and started to bow again, but stopped at Draco's glare. "Yes Mister Draco sir, what is you wanting for lunch sir?"  
  
Well, apparently sir was the best Draco would get. "Just get me some of that roast chicken we had last night, and two glasses of pumpkin juice," he ordered, and Dobby nodded before scurrying off to convey the food orders, almost tripping over the long button-up shirt he wore as some sort of dress.  
  
Ginny gave Draco a half smile. He gave her a blank stare in return, which she ignored. It was rather nice of him to order a drink for her, since she had forgotten. Maybe he wasn't so bad inside.  
  
They were just sitting down at the nearest tiny round table when their food arrived. The elves put down the plates and moved back into the shadows. Ginny took a big bite of her sandwich, and Draco took a sip of his juice. Ginny was just about to reach for the other glass when he picked that up too and drank half of it in one long draught. Ginny just gaped, much to the amusement of Draco.  
  
"You little bloody wanker!" She cried indignantly.  
  
He blinked at her innocently. "My, whatever did I do Weaselette?"  
  
Ginny just took a huge and rather vicious bite of her sandwich, and sat back in her chair, crossing her arms over her chest angrily as she chewed. He smirked a bit at the death glare on her face. God it was fun to annoy her.  
  
He finished eating, and looked over at Ginny. She was now ignoring him, flipping through one of the books she had brought with her. Draco had just picked up his own book when he heard a gasp. Snapping the book shut, he looked at her with exasperation. "What now Weasley?"  
  
She just looked up at him slowly, eyes wide and mouth hanging open. "I think we've found our vampire," she said quietly.  
  
***  
  
She had just been thumbing through the pages, when she saw it. Well, him, really. It wasn't a very big picture, but it was still clearly him. It was the same pale, slightly sallow skin, chubby figure, and sandy hair.  
  
The vampire in her dream.  
  
Ginny couldn't help it, she let out a gasp. Draco had looked up in annoyance and asked her what was wrong.  
  
"I think we've found our vampire," she told him.  
  
He gaped at her, before regaining some composure and grabbing the tome out of her hands. "Him??" He scoffed. "What's so great about him, he's not important at all, hell, he wasn't in any other book! Weasley, explain."  
  
Ginny's eyes flashed, and she started to turn her 'angry' red. The last thing she needed was another person laughing at her about her dream and her hatred of Ivanovich. "Look," she said quickly. "I know this may sound weird, but trust me, I know it'll be a good idea to research him," she explained. "Please."  
  
Draco frowned at the pleading in her voice. Then he sighed. "Alright, I'll think about researching-who the hell is he anyways?" He scowled at Ginny, who shrugged in response, so he looked through the book, reading aloud. "'William Claydor is one of the lesser known English vampires. In fact, not much at all is known about him or his clan,'" here Draco glared at Ginny, but she ignored it. "'However, there are a few common facts known about him. He was born in the eighteenth centuries or so, and is still believed to be living,'" Ginny snorted softly, "'it is commonly believed that he had been some sort of noble before the bite, but it is unclear whether or not he was a wizard. Claydor is most famous for a wave of new vampires, whom he created from his own friends and family, making up his own clan of half breeds. They never amounted to much in the world of vampire hierarchy, but it was still major news at that time in the world.' Blah blah blah, random junk about him and his clan, nothing important." Draco sighed again. "Are you sure about this, this guy doesn't seem all that important to me."  
  
Ginny scowled. "I'm sure okay, so will you just hurry up so we can go talk to Ivanovich already?" She snapped at him, already picking up her belongings and standing to leave. "Malfoy?!?"  
  
He had been sitting there, frozen with a small frown on his delicate features, but when she said his name he seemed to snap out of it. Draco sighed and stood. "Fine Weasley, let's get going already, I don't want to keep my ladies waiting at the Astronomy Tower," he told her with a smirk/eyebrow waggle combo that amused and disgusted Ginny at the same time.  
  
Her lip curled in disgust. "Oh for Christ's sake, it's barely the afternoon yet, can't you and your whores at least wait till darkness?"  
  
They climbed out of the painting and started off in the direction of the DADA classroom. "I could," he fake-mused, "but that is so much less fun. Harder to see everything, you know? Well, you wouldn't."  
  
The curled lip just kept getting higher. "You disgust me," Ginny spat at him.  
  
The only answer was a smirk. "I know."  
  
***  
  
Draco sighed inwardly as he walked ahead of Ginny. Why had he even agreed to researching this stupid unknown vampire anyways? Had he become that weak?  
  
He gave another inward sigh. Cocoa's turning me soft, he noted with slight resentment. Ah well, it was a small price to pay to finally have someone to really talk to.  
  
By now they were at the door to the classroom, and he pushed open the door, before walking through and holding it open for the girl behind him. She gave him a small smile before walking through.  
  
Draco smirked, and let go of the door, letting it fall back and knock her on the ground. He started to laugh, but she gave an exasperated yell and jumped to her feet, hands curling into fists.  
  
"Alright, that's it," she yelled. "Come on, let's go, right here, I'm so bloody sick of you Malfoy!" Ginny leapt forward at those words, face flushed and fist tight. Draco's smirk widened and he simply put out a hand, and held her forehead calmly while she fumed and punched. (A/N: Anyone here have an older sib? Yeah.) Finally, though, she calmed down enough to knock his hand away and storm into the classroom, berating him loudly. Well, at least until she saw their teacher and stopped dead, causing Draco to bump into her and scowl.  
  
Professor Ivanovich didn't stray from his ancient looking tome when they entered, glancing at them only when Draco coughed discreetly into his hand. He flashed them a quick, utterly brilliant smile, before standing and walking to the other side of the desk, leaning against it with a cat-like grace even Draco had to envy.  
  
"Miss Weasley, Mister Malfoy, I take it you're here to inform me of your research choice?" He asked them, still smiling brightly. Draco looked to Ginny, but she was staring at the ground, twisting the ring around and around her middle finger nervously, so he answered.  
  
"Yes Professor, we've chosen a William Claydor to research," he said. For a second-just a split second, Draco could swear his teacher's bright smile faltered, and his blue eyes flashed to Ginny, but then he composed himself and went back behind his desk to grab a packet. He flipped through the pages, stopping midway through and scribbling something with his quill.  
  
Ivanovich looked back up and nodded at them briefly, Draco could recognize a dismissal when he saw one. He grabbed Ginny's arm (she hadn't seen the nod, having been staring at the floor still) and pulled her out. When they were outside, and the door had shut behind them, she let out an audible sigh. He frowned.  
  
"Weasley, what was that?" He demanded, gesturing to the classroom.  
  
Her head snapped up, sending red tresses flying. Draco's eyes followed the bright hair, before he realized what he was doing and switched his gaze to her face again. "What was what?" Her voice was pitched just a bit too high. He frowned.  
  
"Come off it Weasley, I've insulted you and your brother long enough to know when one of you is upset about something, tell me," he urged gently. Her eyes widened, then narrowed dangerously.  
  
"Leave me alone Mal-ferret, it's none of your goddam business!!!" She yelled at him, before whirling around to leave. His jaw clenched, and he grabbed Ginny's arm, shoving and pinning her to the wall.  
  
"No one, and I mean no one, orders around a Malfoy, Weaselette. And sorry if I'm trying to goddam help!!!" Draco growled at her. By now, she was attempting to distance herself from him, only to hit the wall. She stopped at his last words.  
  
"Help? Help?!?" Ginny shrieked, shoving him away from her. "If you want to help, then you can just leave me alone!" And with that, she was storming off down the hall, leaving a mystified Draco behind her.  
  
What's eating her? He wondered.  
  
*** 


	10. Blackmail Is a Sweet, Sweet Thing

Author's Notes: Eep, this took awhile to get out huh? Sorry all! Oh by the way, I realize this is rather AU if you've read OOTP, but, ah well. So, yeah.  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.  
  
You've Got Mail: Ch.9-Blackmail Is A Sweet, Sweet Thing  
  
Ginny whirled around the corner, and slumped against the wall. She then put her face in her hands and gave a muffled scream.  
  
"Ginny?"  
  
She stopped screaming and looked up. "Oh. Hey Tina," she said with a surprising amount of calm for someone who had just been shrieking into her hands.  
  
Tina raised an eyebrow.  
  
"Uhhh.I was just, um, relieving stress," Ginny explained half- heartedly. Tina didn't buy a word of it, but she nodded anyways. "So what are you doing here?"  
  
Tina smiled. "Looking for you. Lunch is almost over, but I brought you some food. Thought you might be hungry; I doubt Malfoy fed you," she joked, pulling a napkin filled with rolls and an apple from her school bag. Ginny ate voraciously, not caring how she looked. She was starving.  
  
Tina wrinkled her nose, but didn't say anything, well, until Ginny swallowed too much bread and started hacking viciously. "It's like watching a train wreck," she remarked with amazement.  
  
The redhead blushed, and stopped coughing. Tina just laughed and they started off towards their next classes.  
  
***  
  
Draco shook his head and took a glance at his watch. Hmm, he still had about half an hour before lunch was over, that was enough time to sit and quickly wolf down some food. He started off towards the Great Hall, his trademark scowl/smirk unknowingly making its way onto his face.  
  
He was just passing by a broom closet when he heard a giggle, followed by what definitely sounded like kissing noises. Draco smirked wider, and moved closer to the door, ear almost flat against it.  
  
"Ohhh, oh," the girl moaned, and Draco's fiendish smile only grew. The word blackmail kept floating through his head.  
  
There was the sound of clothes being ripped open (Draco had very good hearing) and he snorted. Someone's getting some, he thought to himself. What he heard next almost made him gag.  
  
"Hermione." Draco recognized that voice. Potter.  
  
Blackmail was now being shouted in his head.  
  
***  
  
Ginny sighed as the bell for the start of afternoon classes rang.  
  
"Why does it have to be so loud?" She muttered to herself sulkily. She was walking towards her Muggle Studies lesson alone, since Tina had Divination now. Not that she had wanted to go; Tina thought Trelawney was as much of a crackpot as Harry and Ron did. Ginny had just laughed when she said this. She had taken Divination the last couple years, but finally decided that Muggle Studies might be less of an attack on her senses.  
  
She slowed down as she got nearer to the end of the hall before the Charms corridor. There seemed to be some kind of a fight going on. Ginny just rolled her eyes and turned the corner.  
  
Immediately she saw the problem. Malfoy. He seemed to be making fun of Hermione and Harry. Ginny's eyes widened. He knows they're a couple, she thought with an inward gasp.  
  
Crap.  
  
***  
  
"Hey Granger, I'm surprised to see you here," Draco drawled lazily as he walked up to the crowd outside the still-locked Charms room. The Dream Team was standing outside, talking and laughing as if two of them hadn't just been getting it on in a broom closet. Well, he'd put a stop to that.  
  
Hermione wasn't amused. "And why's that Mal-ferret?" She asked nastily. Weasel and Scarface were already moving to flank her, and the other students had gone quiet at the prospect of a fight.  
  
Draco smirked. "Well, it's just that after that little escapade in the broom closet between you and Potter, you didn't sound like you could walk," he said it slowly, each word rolling deliberately off his tongue to hang in the air between them.  
  
Pandemonium broke out. Hermione gasped loudly, Harry colored and launched at Draco, yelling, only to be stopped by an irate Ron, who was trying to yell back at him. The Slytherins were laughing uproariously, while Gryffindors were either trying to hurt them or holding others back.  
  
Draco moved neatly to the side as Ron charged at him, his momentum sending him straight into Pierce Avery. He escaped to the back of the crowd, looking over his creation with not too little pride.  
  
Draco heard footsteps coming towards him and immediately assumed a dueling stance. He looked up to see Ginny standing in front of him. She was almost crying.  
  
"How could you," she whispered softly, before shoving past him and running away, red mane flying.  
  
He was so preoccupied with watching her, open-mouthed with shock, that he didn't even notice Harry's fist until it connected with his jaw. Then everything went black.  
  
***  
  
Ginny rushed down the hall, not caring who she bumped into or shoved aside. For some reason she felt awful, like he had betrayed some trust she didn't know she had given him.  
  
She had finally calmed down by the time she got to her class. She wasn't upset that it had been Dra-Malfoy saying those things, she was just, emotional. Yes, that was it. So, she sat through Muggle Studies perfectly fine, only sniffling ever so often.  
  
And if anyone asked why her eyes were red, she just told them it was allergies.  
  
***  
  
Draco winced and rubbed his jaw again. Stupid Potter with his stupid right hook.  
  
He was in the library, on Saturday morning. There were only a few people around, being as it was before lunch, and most were sleeping still. Draco was waiting for Ginny, but she was already twenty minutes late. He was losing what little patience he had.  
  
Finally, though, just as he had started flicking bits of paper into a crack in the wall (he had surprisingly good aim), the doors burst open and she stepped through. Ginny glanced around, spotted him, and scowled before marching over. He gulped. He could remember her anger the day before.  
  
Ginny got to the table and just stood there, arms crossed. He arched an eyebrow and gestured vaguely to a chair. "Well," he told her. "What are you waiting for? We've got work to do Weaselette."  
  
She shook her head. "No. I refuse to work with you, unless we get a few things straight here." Her voice was tight with anger.  
  
Draco frowned. "Fine, I suppose. What are these few things?"  
  
Ginny finally sat in the offered seat. "Firstly, don't insult my family or my friends. Second, we split the project work equally. And third," she said quietly. "You're going to apologize to Harry and Hermione."  
  
Draco almost jumped. "What?!? Apologize to Scarface and the Mudblood? Why in the name of Merlin would I do that?" He asked her with amazement.  
  
Her brown eyes had narrowed at the name he called Hermione. She leaned across the table towards him "Yes, you'll apologize, and mean it. Do you know, that right now, Hermione is in her room sobbing, Harry's trying to explain things to Ron, and my brother isn't speaking to either of them?" She sat back, shaking her head slowly, and when she spoke again her voice was much softer. "I'm amazed. With one sentence, you managed to destroy a six-year friendship."  
  
Draco felt some sort of pang of guilt, but he squashed that quickly. "Yes, it's a gift," he said arrogantly. "And as for the apology, I still don't see why I should. If it's a punishment, need I remind you that I have three weeks of detention for provoking them and fighting?" He told her viciously, before leaning back with a cocky smile. "Besides, I did them a favor. Tell me, is it better for me to tell them quickly, or for Weasley to slowly piece together the clues-which could take a while-so that by the end, Potter and Granger had been lying to him for much longer?" He asked her.  
  
Her eyes narrowed to little slits now. "Ron wouldn't have humiliated them in public."  
  
He inclined his head; she may have had a point there. "So? You still haven't told me, what happens if I don't apologize?" Draco asked her, his tone was light and mocking.  
  
Ginny smiled sweetly. "Well, then, ferret dearest, I distribute this throughout the school." She reached into a bag and pulled out a stack of photos, handing one to him across the library table. He took it reluctantly, though he was still amused at the thought that she could threaten him.  
  
He stopped being amused as soon as he saw the photo.  
  
It was him, dancing in front of a mirror and wearing pearls. Nothing but pearls. True, there was a desk in the way of-there, but it was still embarrassing.  
  
Draco gasped. "Hey! What the-this isn't even me!!"  
  
"Ah, the wonders of modern photography," Ginny told him with an evil grin. "I got Colin to help me out with this one, and let me tell you, he was more than happy to help."  
  
He snorted mutinously. "Ha, course he was, the little fairy," he muttered darkly under his breath. Unfortunately Ginny heard.  
  
The blow came so quickly, he wasn't even sure he'd been hit, except for the noise. Then, a warm heat spread over his cheek, turning quickly to a burning sting. He hissed in pain, and rubbed his cheek gently. "Fuck, woman!"  
  
She was standing now, outlined against the lights and looking more menacing than ever. "I told you before, rule number one. Don't insult my friends," she said furiously. "Now, Draco, you have until Monday to apologize. In front of people. And if you don't." she waved the photo threateningly, and he grumbled in ascent. She smiled brightly. "That wasn't so hard, now was it?"  
  
And with that, Ginny swept off, leaving a very angry and pained Draco behind her.  
  
***  
  
Ginny managed to make it to the dorm room without snapping and breaking something. God, he drove her so insane!  
  
"He is such a prat, I just, ERGH!!!" With that she hurled a one of her pillows through the half-closed of another bed by the window. Ginny froze when she heard an "Ow!" coming from that bed. "Oopsies," she murmured nervously.  
  
"Hey, who threw that?" A familiar voice asked, sounding rather peeved, before throwing open the curtains and sticking a blonde head out.  
  
Aimee.  
  
Her ex-friend scowled. "Oh, it's you," she remarked nastily. Aimee was about to shut the curtains again, but Ginny, not really knowing what she was doing, cried out a quick, "Wait!"  
  
Aimee hesitated, clearly not sure if she should listen to the redhead, but finally nodded and sat up. "What do you want?" Just because she hadn't slammed the curtains in Ginny's face, didn't mean she had to be nice.  
  
Ginny winced at her tone, before walking and sitting one of the other empty beds near Aimee's. "I don't know, I guess I just," she said with a shrug, "miss being friends with you." Her voice was soft, barely audible even though there was no other noise.  
  
Aimee looked down at the ground, fingers nervously playing with the hem of the bedspread. "Me too," she replied.  
  
They both looked up at each other, and smiled nervously, before starting to speak at the same time.  
  
"I never should have yelled at you-"  
  
"I overreacted a lot-"  
  
Ginny and Aimee broke off with a smile, before they finally spoke again, though this time their words were the same.  
  
"I'm sorry."  
  
***  
  
Colin was waiting in the common room for Aimee to go down to lunch together; she usually slept very late on the weekends. He gave a sigh at the thought of Ginny and their argument. He didn't want to choose sides, but Aimee was so much more clingy and sad about the whole affair, he couldn't help but spend more time with her than Ginny. Though he did assert his friendship for that whole photo blackmail affair.  
  
Colin grinned widely at the thought of what Malfoy would look like when he first saw the photos. He couldn't wait for Ginny to tell him the details.  
  
And speak of the blackmailing devil, he could hear her laughter from the top of the stairs. He looked up, and his jaw dropped.  
  
Aimee and Ginny were walking down the stairs, laughing and talking like the friends they used to be. Colin stood slowly from his armchair, and walked in amazement towards them.  
  
"I take it you two made up?" He inquired with a smile. They laughed.  
  
"Yeah, and we'd also like to say, we're sorry for putting you in the middle," Aimee told him.  
  
Colin just grinned and shook his head. "Hey, what're friends for?" And on that note, they all started down to lunch.  
  
***  
  
They walked into the Great Hall arm in arm, carefree and happy, until Ginny spotted her brother. He was all alone, though Harry was mere feet behind. She slowed to a halt, and Aimee and Colin slowly stopped with her, giving her questioning looks.  
  
"What's wrong Gin?" Colin inquired.  
  
She tore her eyes away from Ron now trying to walk faster and avoid his ex best friend. "Nothing, just watching Ron," she told them softly. Colin and Aimee followed her gaze, before the blonde patted her on the shoulder sympathetically.  
  
"Yeah, everyone heard about what Malfoy said, and their whole fight. It sounds awful!" She said with a sigh.  
  
Ginny nodded, and they continued into the dining hall, and sat at the Gryffindor Table. "It was, I was just passing by when it happened. Merlin, I think McGonagall must have given out more than thirty detentions; everyone was fighting!"  
  
Colin nodded gravely, before brightening suddenly. "Hey, which reminds me, did you go through with the plan?" He asked Ginny. She nodded happily, and Aimee glanced at both of them in confusion.  
  
"What are you talking about? What plan?"  
  
They had started eating, so Ginny swallowed her roll quickly before starting to explain. "I was-and still am, rather-mad about what Malfoy said to Hermione and Ron and Harry. So, Colin helped me make these," she told Aimee, grabbing one of the photos out of her robe pocket. The blonde took it, with slight curiosity, before getting a glance at it. She gave a shriek of laughter, causing many to look their way. "Shh!!!" Ginny hissed at her. "I don't want anyone else to see!"  
  
Aimee calmed down, and gave the photo back to her friend. "That's great! What are you making him do?"  
  
"First, he has to apologize. In front of witnesses. And since we're partners on the DADA project, we have to split the work equally and he isn't allowed to insult my family and friends."  
  
Aimee winced. "Wow, bet he didn't like that," she commented with a wry smile.  
  
"Not at all. But, as you saw by the photo, I have leverage," Ginny said, smiling.  
  
They all laughed, completely unaware of a pair of eyes, watching them with fury.  
  
***  
  
Draco groaned and rolled over, stuffing a pillow over his ears. If he ignored it, it would stop, he chanted to himself.  
  
But the tapping at the window didn't stop.  
  
Finally, he gave a growl and sat up, fumbling at his night table for the light switch. He found it, and blinked at the sudden brightness.  
  
"This had so better be worth it," Draco moaned, as he shoved back the covers and stood.  
  
It was Saturday night, rather late actually. He had been sleeping peacefully, but then there was this annoying tapping sound at the window. It was an owl. Draco's eye twitched angrily, before opening the window and letting the beastly thing in. It gave a hoot and swooped around him, then dropped the letter on the bed and flying back out.  
  
He sighed and shut the window quickly, it was cold outside, and his boxer pajamas offered little insulation (A/N: Ha, couldn't resist! *resumes drooling*). He climbed back into his bed, and sighed happily. So comfortable. Draco was about to fall back asleep, before he remembered the letter.  
  
He frowned. Who'd send him a letter this late? He recognized the owl, it was one of the schools', so he couldn't tell by that. Draco just shrugged and ripped it open.  
  
Damn. It was from her.  
  
Malfoy-(it read)  
  
I'm sending you this just as a reminder of our little 'arrangement.' I want you to apologize tomorrow, but I'm giving you a few options. You may either apologize in front of the whole school at breakfast, lunch, or dinner.  
  
And if you don't, there is the little matter of the photos to contend with.  
  
By the way, about schedules for research, I'm thinking Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursday after dinner. Send me an owl back with your reply.  
  
Sweet dreams.  
  
-Ginny Weasley  
  
Draco scowled viciously. "Great, just bloody great." He muttered darkly under his breath, before turning the light off and falling backwards onto his mattress. He could deal with all this later.  
  
***  
  
Ginny sighed slightly into her eggs, before glancing back up at her brother. He was sitting next to her, not at his usual spot near Hermione and Harry further down the table. That morning, she had walked down to find him staring at the empty fireplace, not even blinking, so out of pity she invited him to sit with her at breakfast.  
  
That pity was fast dwindling, as Ron continued to rant about his best friends' new relationship.  
  
"-and it's not even that they're going out, it's that they're just.snogging! Yes, that's it, they've ruined our friendship to sneak around behind my back for some good snogging sessions. And then Malfoy of all people finds out! I'd like to have known, but not like that. I wish they had told me," his voice was quieter as he said that, but Ginny winced anyways. She had known since almost the first week and Harry and Hermione, but she had just sort of assumed Ron had known. No, not even assumed, because that would require thinking about what she had seen. She'd just seen them kiss and forgotten about, knowing that both Harry and Hermione wouldn't want anyone else to know.  
  
Now she rather regretted her dismissive attitude.  
  
Ron had stopped talking to shove toast in his mouth, now spraying her with crumbs as he said some absolutely incoherent phrase (though since it sounded rather mean, she was glad she hadn't). Ginny grimaced.  
  
"Ron, please, say it don't spray it," she told him with utter disgust, throwing her napkin at the older redhead. He glared at her but wiped his mouth anyways, temporarily shutting up to eat.  
  
Ginny was relishing the quiet when Draco finally came down to breakfast. It was Sunday, so most were still sleeping. The perfect time, he reasoned, to give that damn apology.  
  
He walked up the aisle between the tables quickly, hoping to get this over with as quick as possible. Slowly, people stopped eating to nudge one another and stare at him, so that by the time Draco reached the middle area, he found himself facing a quiet audience.  
  
Inside he gulped; outside he scowled. "Good morning everyone," he greeted smoothly. "Sorry professors and students for disrupting your meal, but I have a little, announcement, to make." Draco coughed before continuing in an utterly dry and business-like voice. " I hereby retract the harmful and rather crude statement I made at lunch on Friday of this week, to Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. Thank you. That is all." And with that, he turned on his heel and marched to his seat, sitting down calmly amidst laughs and shocked whispers. Even the teachers looked rather stunned.  
  
Though, as Ginny thought to herself, Harry, Hermione, and Ron easily took the prize for most surprised.  
  
***  
  
Beep beep.  
  
Ginny whirled around, eyes bright. She practically skipped over to her laptop, sitting down in front of her desk. She moved the cursor, and checked his message.  
  
ResidentEvil: Hey Cocoa.  
  
She smiled. Making up with Aimee, seeing Malfoy apologize, now talking to Dragon. This had turned to be a great weekend.  
  
Pyropinkmonkey12: Hi Dragon. What's up?  
  
Draco made a face at the screen. What should he tell her? That he had been blackmailed into completely destroying his reputation? Or having to work with that annoying weasel on a major project? Finally, he just sighed. Didn't want to burden her with his problems.  
  
ResidentEvil: Not too much. Got a lot of homework, and that project is still going on.  
  
Ginny read his message with a frown, as she racked her brain. His project was in, uhhh, English, right? Or was it that one with the chemicals, Scieon or whatever? Thankfully he saved her from having to reply to that by asking her what was up. She grinned. "Where to start?" She wondered aloud.  
  
Pyropinkmonkey12: Oh I'm doing pretty good, you remember that fight I had with my friend? Well, we made up, so I'm happy about that. Life is pretty good for me right now.  
  
Draco scowled.  
  
ResidentEvil: Ugh, it's the opposite for me.  
  
Ginny stifled a grin, before typing out the ultimate gooey girl response.  
  
Pyropinkmonkey12: Awww, there there, I'm sorry.  
  
Draco rolled his eyes and was about to reply scathingly somehow, but she cut him off.  
  
Pyropinkmonkey12: Hold on one second.  
  
"Oh lord, Gin, I hope you aren't talking to that guy," Aimee warned her with an exasperated sigh, as she walked through the door. It was Sunday night, and she had just come back from the library, finishing up an essay she had forgotten about. All their other dorm mates were out.  
  
Ginny twisted in her chair, scowling at her friend. "Yes, is there a problem with that?" She demanded, slightly peeved at being interrupted. In addition to talking to Dragon, she had also been playing this fascinating online game called Slime Volleyball, in which little blobby things bounced a ball off their heads at each other. If the ball hit the ground, the opposite player gained a point. Because of the distraction, she had lost.  
  
Aimee rolled her eyes, and continued attempting to wrestle off her shoe. "It's just so, weird, you know?" said Aimee.  
  
Ginny cocked her head to the side. She didn't find it all that weird. Except for the fact that she really had no way of knowing he was who he said he was.  
  
Aimee had gotten that shoe off, and moved onto the other one. "Well," she continued. "What if he's really some like forty year old serial rapist? That'd be kind of bad."  
  
Ginny snorted. "You sound like my mum," she remarked. Aimee sent her a death glare, which she ignored. "Don't worry about it, it's not like I'll ever meet him. This is harmless, I promise." The blonde didn't look too convinced, so she sighed. "Cross my heart and hope to die."  
  
Aimee smiled. "Alright."  
  
*** Yay!! Finally out!! Anyways, a bunch of you asked last time what was wrong with Ginny. I don't know, maybe it's because.HER TEACHER IS EVIL!!!!! Heehee. 


	11. Isn't Astral Projection Fun?

Author's Note: My God, too much research went into this chapter. I won't say anything now, but let me just tell you, I now know much more about that place than I've ever really wanted to…just kidding. ^_^  
  
In chapter ten  
  
Ginny finds out more  
  
And she has to dream again  
  
So just be glad she doesn't snore…  
  
Draco is rather stupid here  
  
Plus we learn more about the trips  
  
And get a peek into Draco's mind  
  
Which isn't a cause for flips  
  
The Dream Team is absent  
  
Unlike my OC's  
  
And if you're hoping for snogging  
  
I have to say puh-leeze  
  
It will all come in time  
  
But that time isn't now  
  
So just read the chap  
  
And let me take my bow!!   
  
Haha, beat that other people!!  
  
Disclaimer: No, I completely own the Potterverse. I created Harry, Ginny, Draco, everyone, and the entire plotline of five best-selling books. *end sarcasm* Of course I don't bloody own anything.  
  
You've Got Mail: Ch.10-Isn't Astral Projection Fun?  
  
The next couple of weeks passed by quickly in a blur of research, insults, and other monotonous tasks for Ginny and Draco. Every day he didn't have Quidditch practice, they met in the library after dinner to scan over endless tomes, trying to find out as much as they could about William Claydor. But, as Ginny mused one afternoon, they weren't having much luck with the obscure vampire.  
  
She was in DADA, the last class of the day. She was sitting between Aimee and Colin, doodling random pictures next to her notes. Professor Ivanovich had taken to giving them independent study periods; they could either work on their homework (varied essays on magical creatures) or the project. Many opted instead to sleep or talk with friends.  
  
Under dire threats of Malfoy's, Ginny had a funny smelling book open in front of her, and was supposed to be taking notes. Instead, she was doodling a little cartoon, featuring a triumphant looking Ginny standing next to a ferret. She sat back and smirked. It was the best picture of Malfoy she'd ever seen.  
  
She nudged Colin on her left to show him the drawing; he gave a muffled sort of snore before waking up. He grinned widely.  
  
"I take it you guys are arguing again?" He whispered, leaning across the small aisle towards her. He glanced at their teacher, but Ivanovich was busy reading.  
  
Ginny scowled. "We always are. In retaliation for the blackmail, the git has started taking hour-long bathroom breaks," she told him quietly, voice shaking with anger. "And whenever we see any Slytherins, I always end up 'accidentally' tripping."  
  
Colin gave a soft snort, and turned back over, clearly intent on more sleep. Ginny, of course, didn't notice, still fuming as she remembered the horrors of the past two weeks. Well, the optimistic part of her argued, at least you've learned a lot more about William Claydor.  
  
It was true, his history wasn't fascinating, but it was exactly what Ivanovich would probably want on the report. Though it didn't get Ginny any closer to figuring out her dream.  
  
Every day, she pored over seemingly endless numbers of diaries, encyclopedias, and any other book she could get her hands on, but she could never figure out who Ivanovich really was, or what his interest was in William Claydor. Or rather, had been, as the man was now dead.  
  
Ginny smirked mentally. She knew it was rather evil of her, but she couldn't help smiling a bit when she encountered another book saying that Claydor was still alive. They had no idea what had happened to him in some dark forest.  
  
She had told Aimee this, only to have her friend bite her lip, and ever-so-gently, suggest that maybe her dream had been just that. A dream. Ginny had been taken aback by this. Through everything, fights with Malfoy, Aimee, research , everything, she'd barely entertained the option that her dream wasn't real. She knew it was real. It just, had to be.  
  
It had to be.  
  
***  
  
"Hey Malfoy, aren't you gonna apologize for bumping into me? It was all your fault," came a taunting sneer from behind Draco. He clenched his fists, stopping for a second, but he steeled himself and resumed walking. He got too many taunts a day to stop and beat up everyone.  
  
It was all Weasley's fault. He'd established long ago, that the blame rested on her, but still, he just had to go over it again once more in his head. All her fault, all her fault, her fault, because of her, she did it, any way he placed it, it was still the same. HER fault.  
  
Did I mention Draco's memory happened to be a very selective one?  
  
He was brought back to the present by more sniggering. He stopped whirled around, fixed the offending younger student (again, as Draco thought, how could they be so annoying so young?) with a death glare, and went on.   
  
That day, Draco vowed, he'd talk to Weasley. Sure, it might be fun to leave her with most of the work and other such silly things, but they were just little tricks she always managed to shrug off, annoyingly enough. And she was smart too, Draco had to admit grudgingly. Whatever he did to her, she gave back ten fold.  
  
He turned a corner, and sighed in relief at the sight of the approaching library doors. There at least, his crowd of aggravators would leave him alone; Madam Pince hated talkers and fights almost as much as she hated termites. Pushing open the doors, Draco was relieved to hear slight sighs from behind him, and the sound of feet shuffling slowly away.  
  
He walked through, and, not being blinded by a flash of red hair, he presumed she was being held up somehow and started towards their usual table. After almost a week of negotiations with the hawk-like librarian, involving much yelling on his part, Draco and Ginny had finally managed to get that table as their own. Thus, when he made his way back to it, all the books they had used the previous day were still there, marked pages still intact.  
  
Draco sat down and picked up the book he was currently reading, flipping open to one dog-eared page, before remembering he had read it all, and throwing it back down with disgust. He began thinking of the upcoming travel days. All the boys in his dorm with girl partners were making extravagant plans about how to sneak past the wards that would be placed on their rooms. And then they'd start to ask Draco what he was doing, before remembering his partner, and either sighing in false sympathy or guffaw at his misfortune. Actually, everyone had laughed at him and his unfortunate choice in partners.  
  
"Malfoy!"  
  
Well, speak of the red headed devil. Barely containing a groan, he swiveled around and saw Weasley jogging towards him, ignoring the glare of the librarian. She skidded to a halt, doubling over for a second before straightening with an odd look on her face.  
  
"What is it, Weasel?" He hissed, glancing around shiftily. "This is a bloody library, or are you too poor to-" He caught her meaningful glare, and scowled. "Sorry, sorry."  
  
She sniffed haughtily, sitting across from him. "Good," Ginny said coldly, but that soon crumbled. "Have you thought at all about where we should go for our trip?"  
  
He rolled his eyes. "No. I'd been rather hoping we could skip doing that part of the project together," said Draco.  
  
"Me too, but I checked with the professor, and I'm starting to think it's a requirement. So, where to?"  
  
He sighed, and looked up as if searching the heavens for patience. This girl knew exactly how to annoy him, even her voice bothered him. And now, apparently he was going to be stuck with her in a foreign country. Goody.  
  
"I have no idea, Claydor's one of the most bland vampires in the world! And besides that, his entire meager existence is in the books. There's no point in going anywhere!" Draco hissed angrily.  
  
Ginny looked a bit surprised at his outburst, her eyes widening before she narrowed them in thought. Finally, she gave a small noise and jumped out of her seat. "Malfoy, meet me here tomorrow. I think I might know where we can go," she said, before speeding out the door, leaving a mystified Draco behind.  
  
***  
  
"Fizzing Whizbee!"  
  
No response.  
  
"Ooh, fine then, uhhh, Licorice Wand!!"  
  
No response.  
  
"Damn you, you stupid thing!!" A kick.  
  
"Ms. Weasley!"  
  
Ginny whirled around, face almost comical at the shock of being caught kicking the gargoyle that was the entrance to Dumbledore's office. Professor McGonagall was standing there. Ginny clasped her hands in front of her nervously.  
  
"Hi, Professor," she said slowly. "I was just, um, trying to see the Headmaster but I don't know the password so..."  
  
The professor swept in, murmuring the password too quietly for Ginny to hear and still looking rather scandalized. She turned around once the gargoyle was opening. "You know," she said, not unkindly, "next time you can just say 'Student to see the headmaster,' and it will open for you."  
  
Ginny, her cheeks flaming, muttered a thanks and rushed through. She climbed the stairs quickly, not even knocking before barging into the room. "Professor Dumbledore I need to talk to you," she said quickly.  
  
The Headmaster looked up from behind his desk and smiled. "Why, hello Miss Weasley! How can I help you?"  
  
Ginny sank down in the chair nearby. "It's sort of complicated," she trailed off.  
  
He was still smiling at her. "My dear, magic is nothing if not complicated. Try and explain, I'll see what I can do."  
  
"Well, I had a dream a while ago, and I need to have it again, to find out some things."  
  
"Mmhm. Now, if that's the case, why don't you go to Professor Trelawney? It seems more her area than mine," said Dumbledore, starting to peel an orange that he had conjured moments before.  
  
Ginny hesitated for a moment, before starting to speak. "I'm not so sure, but I think it wasn't so much Divination, as it was astral projection."  
  
Dumbledore nodded his head. "Then you've certainly come to the right place. How can you be sure?"  
  
Thinking back, she waited a bit before answering. "It was cold wherever I was, so I felt cold. And I felt the ground under my feet, and the texture of the trees. And, one of the two people, I, uh, saw, he looked straight at me like he could see me," she halted again, before shrugging. "I don't know, maybe it was all a dream. But it felt so real, and I can still remember all the details even now. I usually forget my dreams. Although…"  
  
"Although what?"  
  
Ginny blushed. "My dream, or vision or whatever it was, it suddenly switched to something that couldn't have possibly been real. There were people there, and weird things, and such. I think that part was a real dream."  
  
"But you remember all the details about that too?" He asked.  
  
Ginny thought of the almost-kiss with Malfoy. She remembered every millisecond of the dream, from first discovering the red dress to screaming at the sight of Tom. "Yes."   
  
The old man pretended not to notice her discomfort as he stood from his desk, and walked around, finally stopping in front of the sleeping Fawkes. Back still to her, he started to speak. "I'm quite amazed," he said finally. "You really have accomplished astral projection. You see, most of the time, once the astral projection is over, the body reverts back to its sort of defense mechanism, which in this case was another dream. Or you just couldn't take the strain and fell asleep. But in either case, it was most definitely astral projection."  
  
Ginny smiled widely; that meant that she could do it again and find out where they should go! Excitedly, she stood up. "So how can I do it again?"  
  
He turned around now. "It's quite an inexact art. Chamomile tea should help, as would trying to clear your mind and focus on your destination before sleeping. But most of all, you must imagine that you need to be there. It's easier to do at night, than when awake. When you're conscious, the only thing that can make astral projection happen is a very strong will, but that doesn't even always work. And there's also a Calming Sleep powder Madame Pomfrey should have, I'll give you a note for it, as it's very potent," Dumbledore told her.  
  
Ginny's grin widened even more, if possible. "Thank you, Headmaster, thank you so much!"  
  
***  
  
That night, after a nice, calming chat with Dragon, and a minute of repeating her goal, Ginny sat cross-legged on top of her bedcovers, before pouring the calming powder into her chamomile tea, and chugging it down quickly. She felt the effects soon after, and barely had time to crawl under the covers (it got quite chilly at night in Hogwarts) before she passed out.  
  
Instantly, she was back in the clearing. She barely restrained a whoop of joy, before realizing that it might not be safe and ducking behind a tree. Ginny felt her heart pound against her ribcage; she was scared the noise was actually audible.  
  
After a minute or so, which felt like hours to her, she peeked her head out. It was safe. Ginny came out from behind the tree, a bit nervously. She had no real clue how long the projection would last, Dumbledore had said it could be anywhere from fifteen seconds to fifteen hours.  
  
A wind blew, hard, and Ginny shivered and cursed. She was still in her pajamas, and though it was flannel, it was no match for the weather of wherever she was. "I'm so stupid," she muttered before wrapping arms around herself, and beginning her search for clues.  
  
It was hard work. She had no wand, because her projection was only strong enough for her body and her clothes. The broken ground dug into her bare feet, she started feeling numb from cold, and it was so dark she could hardly see her own hand in front of her face. And Ginny didn't even know what she was looking for, which made it that much harder.  
  
Finally, when she was sure that her toes really were falling off, she stepped on something rather sharp and yelped. Heart racing now, Ginny knelt and searched for whatever it was frantically. That thing had felt sharp, sharper than wood or dirt could be. Suddenly, her fingers alighted on something smooth, and she leaned forward, squinting. It was some sort of brooch, or maybe a cloak pin. But she definitely knew that it was gold, and it had been dropped somewhat recently. She grinned happily. At last, she thought.  
  
Standing, Ginny looked around. The strain of staying here for so long was taking its toll on her, and she knew that soon she'd either pass out or have to return home. Not that she was so clear on how to do that either.  
  
"Now I just need to know where the hell I am…" she said to herself softly.  
  
Ginny started off in one random direction, trying to remember which way she was going, but it was impossible. All the trees looked the same, and the sky, though getting lighter, was still dark, so she couldn't rely on constellations. Sighing, she quickened her pace. She was getting weaker at holding herself there, and if Ginny looked down, she could sometimes see her legs flicker out of focus. But she still trudged on.  
  
When it looked like the sky was starting to get lighter, she finally saw what looked like a wooden sign. Ginny ran towards it happily. Once she reached it, she could have hit herself. Of course it was in another language! Squinting at the faded letters, she managed to recognize that it was in Russian (Aha! She thought. So at least I know the country), but she had no idea what it said.  
  
Her legs were almost completely vanished now, and the dizziness and buzzing in her ears had increased. She frowned and set herself to memorizing the maddening letters. C, A, H, K, T, those were all fine, but the last ones were much worse. Something that looked a bit like the Roman numeral for two without the bottom, E, T, E, P, a six thing, then the letter Y, and two squiggles too faded to read clearly. Ginny chanted those over and over to herself, staring at the sign, till finally, the strain got too much, and she crumpled to the ground, still clutching the brooch as she faded back to her own bed in Hogwarts.  
  
***  
  
"Ginny! Ginny!! Wake up!!"  
  
Ginny whimpered and fluttered her eyelids open. The vision of Aimee in front of her blurred, then split into two Aimee's, spinning clockwise around each other. That momentarily distracted her from the pounding aches all over her body, but once she remembered, Ginny groaned. Loudly. "Aimee, quit moving around and shrieking like that, I'm fine."  
  
Her best friend sighed in relief before sitting on the bed. "Good, I got just a bit worried when I couldn't wake you up," said Aimee dryly. Still, Ginny could detect a bit of a quiver in her voice. "What happened to you anyways?"  
  
Ginny felt a moment of panic. Dumbledore had warned her not to tell anyone unless it was absolutely necessary, and even then, to be very careful. "Uhh, I don't know, I guess I'm just tired and overworked, you know, with the project and everything." Even in her own ears, that sounded strained.  
  
Aimee seemed to tell there was something Ginny was hiding. "Well, alright then, I guess." She brightened. "By the way, where are you and Malfoy going for the trip? We get to go to the States for ours!"  
  
"Russia," she said with a mysterious half-smile. That quickly disappeared as she felt a pinch underneath her back. Surreptitiously sneaking a hand beneath herself, Ginny's hand wrapped met the now-warm metal of the brooch, and she gasped, sitting up. "Speaking of which, I gotta go. I have to meet Malfoy."  
  
She got out of bed quickly, barely restraining a moan. Her bones felt like they had been pounded by hammers for hours, and Ginny felt like the bottoms of her feet had been scraped away entirely. It was not a good feeling. She shooed Aimee out with more feeble excuses, though her friend finally realized that there was something up and said she had to work too. Ginny wondered about her as she changed into some jeans and a sweater. No friendship could survive weeks of isolation and coldness unscathed, and even now, Ginny could feel the distance between them. At least they both had Colin to keep them together, thankfully.  
  
Ginny stood and shrugged off those kind of thoughts. That wasn't what mattered right now. Now, she was just too happy that her dream had been real all along, and that she had both gotten the brooch and the knowledge of the location of the clearing.  
  
"Speaking of location," she murmured, "I should really write down that nearby town or whatever it was on the sign." She grabbed a piece of parchment on a desk and tapped the quill against her teeth as she remembered. Ginny quickly wrote the characters down, but drew two blank spaces for the last two. She and Malfoy would just have to guess. She silently prayed he knew Russian, before running out the door.  
  
***  
  
Draco yawned widely, idly wondering if that popping in his jaw if he opened his mouth too wide was normal. Probably not, he reflected, but he was rather too tired to care. He yawned again, this time his mind reviewing Muggle TV shows (not that he'd ever admit watching them) of bugs flying into people's mouths as they slept. Draco promptly clapped his mouth shut. He didn't like bugs.  
  
He was out on the empty Quidditch pitch, laying down on the grass and staring up at the near cloudless sky. One little thin wisp of white cloud passed by leisurely, and he tried in vain to make some sort of shape out of it, but all his mind could think of was a slug. Draco gave a faint pffft sort of snort, and shut his eyes, clearly intent on sleep.  
  
Then he heard the sound of footsteps approaching. Damn it all to hell, no one ever bloody let him sleep. Just last night Crabbe had roused him at exactly three twenty-six A.M. to tell Draco, sniggering loudly, that he'd managed to stuff twenty bon bons into his mouth at once.  
  
Again, the blonde boy had to wonder just why he surrounded himself with these people.  
  
The footsteps got closer. "Who is it?" He called out crabbily, eyes still shut as he prayed it was some younger student who, realizing who had yelled, would run away. No such luck. His own personal demon, boggart, poltergeist or whatever he could think of, had to be the one to answer him.  
  
"Malfoy! Get your fat arse up, I've got important news!" Weaselette yelled. Draco could swear her voice would haunt him for years following this project.  
  
Grumbling, he opened his eyes and got up, lazily remarking, "My arse is not fat. See? Perfect, like the rest of me," here he flashed her a toothy grin and half turned to show off afore-mentioned butt.  
  
She rolled her eyes. "Hardly," she retorted. "But enough of that, I really do have important news. I know the general area we have to go for our trip, and I have one piece of evidence that we'll need to review."  
  
Draco immediately sobered. "So where are we going?"  
  
"Well…it's somewhere in Russia, I'm pretty sure of that. But as for the exact location, that's what I need your help with. Can you read this?" Ginny asked desperately, thrusting the parchment with the letters under his nose.  
  
He grabbed it, and blinked, studying the characters. Ginny hoped that maybe he was deciphering the letters. Finally, he remarked, "You know, I'm really beginning to wish I'd listened when Mother began pushing for those foreign language lessons."  
  
"ERGH!" She shrieked. "This is useless, we'll never know where to go! We'll wander all over Russia and its FIFTEEN BLOODY TIME ZONES, and never find the clearing again!!!" The girl looked ready to cry.  
  
Draco was so alarmed at her face that he dismissed what she had said about some clearing. "Listen, don't worry," he hurried to reassure her, "there's this girl I know in Ravenclaw, she owes me a favor and she's really smart. We can ask her." Ginny was already too far gone though, she had crumpled to the ground and her frame was racked with silent sobs. Instinctively, Draco knew it wasn't just this, it came back to much more in her life. And he wanted to help her.  
  
"Hey, come on." He grabbed Ginny and pulled her up, holding her upper arms firmly as he talked to her. "Don't fall apart for little things like this, you've gotta save the meltdowns for big stuff," Draco told her with a slight smile. She sniffled a bit, shrugging, but it seemed his words had worked. She straightened and wiped at her eyes impatiently, and it was as if the breakdown had never occurred.  
  
On the silent walk to the Ravenclaw common room, Draco remembered what she had said about evidence. "What's the evidence you wanted to show me?"  
  
Her face lit up. "Oh I completely forgot! I haven't really gotten a good look at it either, so…" Ginny held out her open hand to show him the brooch. They both stopped just outside the castle doors, and he picked it up, examining it in the light. It was well made, definitely gold, looked to be quite old. He told her as much.  
  
Ginny nodded. "I thought as much. Do you think your Ravenclaw will know anything about brooches?"  
  
Draco smirked and shrugged. "Hey, we can ask."  
  
***  
  
"Draco! I haven't seen you in ages, what brings you to the Ravenclaw common room?" Kimura Yamamoto, his seventh year Ravenclaw friend, asked him, brown eyes sparkling. She didn't even bother asking how the boy got in.  
  
It was almost deserted, so Ginny and Draco sat on the couch by the fire and near Kimura. Ginny eyed the older girl with something akin to respect. Her features were both warm and guarded as she talked to Draco, and Ginny could tell that he respected her too. It showed in their friendly banter.  
  
"Oh, this, that and the other thing. I need to call in that favor you owed me," he told her.  
  
Kimura made a face and put her bookmark in the textbook. "Damn, and here I was hoping you'd forgotten about that," she muttered.  
  
He smirked. "Not a chance." They both smiled at each other, making Ginny wonder if there hadn't been something between the two before. For some reason, that thought annoyed her, and she coughed discreetly, breaking the connection.  
  
Draco turned slightly and grabbed the parchment with the letters. "Can you tell us what this says? We don't know about the last two letters so you'll have to guess with tho-"  
  
"Saint Petersburg," she interrupted smoothly. Draco blinked, and Kimura sighed before explaining. "It says Saint Petersburg in Russian. You know, the big city with all the bright lights and things?"  
  
Ginny giggled at the expression on his pale face. "You shut up," he told her out of the corner of his mouth.  
  
She just giggled louder, and Draco decided to ignore her. Well, as soon as she showed Kimura the other thing. "We've also found this brooch, and we need your help with it."  
  
Ginny passed over the brooch. The Japanese girl frowned and slid on slim glasses, eyeing the jewelry thoroughly. She spoke after a long while. "It's an odd piece," she said finally. "Most of the pins like these were popular in the Middle Ages, but this looks to be much older, almost centuries so. It's real gold, in the shape of a crowned A pin."  
  
"Crowned A?" Both Draco and Ginny asked at the same time.  
  
Kimura put the brooch down and slid off her spectacles in an easy, practiced movement. "See the letter with a sort of crown over it? It stands for the Latin saying, 'Amor Vincit Omnia,' which means-"  
  
"Love conquers all," Draco cut in with confusion. "But why would he have this? Isn't it more of a girl's thing?  
  
She shrugged. "Hey, I have no idea about the why. I think that's more what you guys have to find out."  
  
Draco scowled at Ginny. "Great, more mysteries and research," he muttered darkly. "You know, this is all your fault."  
  
"My fault?" She shrieked, gaping. "Oh well sor-ry for wanting to do well on this dumb project, and risking my neck to find out information for us!"  
  
"Risked you neck? How? What the hell's been going on? First you get all mysterious and convince me to pick Claydor as our vampire, which turned out badly, then you suddenly come out with all this information that make no sense! Explain, Weaselette!"  
  
Kimura was watching them with interest, and Ginny noticed, face flaming with embarrassment and anger. "Not here and now," she murmured, standing and pulling him up and towards the door. "Goodbye, uhh, Kimura, was it? And thank you, but we've got to be going." She headed towards the exit, dragging a protesting Draco behind.  
  
Kimura shook her head with silent mirth. After all, she had known Draco for a long time, and he was never one to be dragged out. Unless he wanted to be dragged, of course.  
  
***  
  
Once out of the Ravenclaw Common Room, Draco shook off her grip on his arm rather moodily.  
  
"Let go Weasel, I don't need your germs contaminati-oh damn. The photo. Right, right, sorry," he muttered in disgust. "It's a hard habit to break, okay?"  
  
She sighed. "Yeah, yeah I know. Oh, and for the record, if you can still call me Weaselette, I can call you Mal-Ferret."  
  
Draco made a face as he considered. True, he hated that name, but it was preferable to having to call her Ginny. He shuddered inwardly at the thought and nodded slightly. Having completely forgotten his previous anger over all the secrets, he asked her, "So, what do we do now?"  
  
She grinned. "Now, we go tell Professor Ivanovich that next Saturday, we're going to Saint-Petersburg." There was a flicker of something unplaceable in her eyes, but Draco ignored it, too excited about the upcoming trip.  
  
He stood up. "Let's go, then," he said with a smirk.  
  
The walk was completely silent, with both teens trying their best to stay on opposite sides of the hallway from each other. There was one instance, however, that crowds forced their forearms to touch for the slightest millisecond. Ginny pretended to gag inwardly.  
  
Entering the classroom, Draco gave a knock on the door jamb with his knuckles. "Hello, Professor Ivanovich?"  
  
He turned his dark head from the window he was looking out of, face in a moody scowl, but at the sight of his students Boris Ivanovich smiled. "Why hello Mr. Malfoy, Ms. Weasley. Here to talk about the research trip this Thursday?"  
  
Draco nodded. "Yes, we'll be needing a Portkey to Russia, Saint Petersburg to be exact."  
  
That smile stiffened for an instant, and it seemed so cold to Ginny. His eyes slid over her, before he finally nodded and looked down, hiding that cruel face. She shivered and tried to slide a bit behind Draco. "Alright, you'll be with the main group going to eastern Europe, then catching a private Portkey from there. May I ask why you've chosen Russia? I understood that Claydor is an English vampire," asked Ivanovich, shuffling some random papers as he sat at the big desk.  
  
Draco glared at the girl behind him, motioning for her to be the one to explain. She opened her mouth, and her voice caught in her throat, before an idea struck. "It's a surprise!" Ginny told the older man cheerfully. "We don't want anyone to know before our paper is done. It should be absolutely fantastic! Well, Malfoy, come on, we'd better go work on our paper more! Bye Professor!!!" There, she thought with satisfaction as she dragged Draco away, that should keep him believing I'm the stupid ditz for a while.  
  
Once outside, Draco burst out laughing. "'Absolutely fantastic?'" He mocked with a whoop of laughter.  
  
She blushed crimson. "Shut up Ferret boy."  
  
***  
  
A bit short…but I didn't know what else to write. And as for the info on Russian, HA!! It's correct!! I stayed up insanely late but I found it!! *cackles maniacally, then howls as men in white jackets take her away*   
  
Review! 


	12. Ready, Set, Fight!

Author's Note: My god, I am a complete idiot. I've been looking back over earlier chapters, and I keep switching from Pierce to Pierre (one of the OC's, Draco's friend). And I honestly can't remember which one I intended in the first place!!! Although, I do think it was Pierce in the first place, so I guess I'll just go with that. Maybe later I'll fix the mistakes, but whatever. So sorry, to anyone who was confused! Pierre and Pierce are the same person.  
  
BTW, sorry it took so long! Finals and all that…I hate Biology, I hate Biology, I hate Biology….  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.  
  
You've Got Mail-Ch.11-Ready, Set, Fight!  
  
"So…" Draco asked awkwardly, stuffing his hands into his pockets. "What do we do now?"  
  
He and Ginny were in the kitchens, munching quietly on lunch leftovers and some pie. They'd walked there without realizing it after leaving the DADA classroom, and since lunch was just ending, they'd decided to stop in for some food.  
  
Ginny slammed down her drink a bit harder than intended. "I don't know, Ferret, so quit asking me!" She snapped.  
  
He looked taken aback, but he covered it with a sneer. "Fine, it doesn't matter anyways. We'll just go to Russia, find out what we need and-wait a second. What do we need in Russia?"  
  
Ginny half choked on the turkey piece she was eating. Once her throat was clear, she looked at him cautiously. "Well, let's just say I have my sources," she said, satisfied with her vague answer.  
  
Draco wasn't. "What the hell does that mean?" He asked with exasperation. Then an annoying look crossed his face, and he nodded in false wisdom. "Ah, I get it. You're performing raunchy and sordid deeds with people in exchange for information. No need to explain, Weasley."  
  
The boy had thought she would jump up screaming bloody murder and hit him, but she did no such thing. In fact, Ginny laughed at that. Laughed a lot. He stared at her, till she finally quieted and wiped tears of mirth from the corner of her eyes.  
  
"Sordid?" she gasped out, before dissolving into whoops of laughter once more. He scowled at her, before an idea struck and he grabbed the rest of her pie and shoved it in his mouth in one big bite. His cheeks puffed out with the food stuffed in them.  
  
As soon as Ginny noticed (which was too soon for him to swallow the incriminating evidence) she let out an outraged gasp. "You ate my pie!" She accused with amazement.  
  
"Schouves 'oo wigh'," he said thickly, spraying her face with spit and crumbs.  
  
Her lip curled in disgust as she wiped the pie bits off her face, still looking livid. "But it was my pie!! Cherry pie!!! My favorite type of pie!!! MY pie!!!!"  
  
Draco just grinned at her cheekily, before swallowing and opening his mouth to show the pie gone. "All gone now," he said cheerfully.  
  
"Ooh!" She shrieked in frustration, before grabbing his half-finished Butterbeer and swigging it down. "Well I've got your drink!"  
  
He scowled, and snatched up the bread she had just finished buttering. "Your bread!"  
  
"Aha, salad!"  
  
"More of your pie! Mmmm good!!"  
  
"The rest of your sandwich!"  
  
"Your ice cream!"  
  
"I didn't even order ice cream!"  
  
"Oh right, I meant milkshake!!"  
  
About to make a snatch for the cookie Draco was guarding so closely, Ginny stopped suddenly. Ignoring his shout of triumph as he grabbed the turkey bit he'd been trying for, she started to laugh again.  
  
"Wha' choo laffin' fo'?" He asked in confusion, once more flicking bits of spittle at her.  
  
"This!" She replied with another laugh. "Do you realize how immature we look?"  
  
Draco thought about it, munching thoughtfully on some more of her bread. Ginny took another look at him and almost started guffawing. He had gravy spread on one cheek, a dribble of chocolate milkshake down the front of his shirt, cherry preserve on his nose and crumbs everywhere. Just when she thought she could hold in her laughter no longer, did he finally speak.  
  
"True," he said, before smirking. "But you're just saying that 'cause you, Miss Weasley, are losing."   
  
Ginny didn't even answer, just rolled her eyes and tipped the water pitcher on his lap.  
  
***  
  
"I still can't believe you did that to me! It looks like I pissed my pants!!!" He shrieked, repositioning his sweater over the front of his legs as they walked back from the kitchens.  
  
She glared at him. "Oh quit whining about it! I look at least as bad as you, if not worse, so shut up," said Ginny wearily.  
  
It was true, the two students looked disgusting. Draco had food all over him face and shirt, even with some unidentifiable sauce in his pale hair, not to mention the water stain he was now covering up. Ginny, though she had managed to keep most of the food off her face, had tripped in the chocolate sauce around the table, and as a result, her entire left leg and most of her side had been stained with the sticky substance. Though their fight had been somewhat entertaining at the time (especially when Ginny had fallen and started cursing like a sailor) now they felt disgustingly sticky, and rather exhausted.  
  
Ginny sighed happily as she thought of the shower awaiting her back at Gryffindor Tower. That thought sustained her till they got to the hallway that separated their routes. She turned, not really sure what to say.  
  
"So, when do you think we should meet up for some more researching? We still need to find out about the brooch," he reminded. She groaned at that.  
  
"Yeah, I guess we can just go to the library tomorrow after class, though try and do some of your own work during DADA," she said.  
  
They were about to move apart, when suddenly Draco leaned close to her, till she could feel a slight stirring of breath on her cheek. Ginny knew she should be scrambling backwards, or yelling at him, or something, but as he approached, her legs grew numb and there was a slight fluttering feeling in the pit of her stomach.  
  
He was close enough now that Ginny could see the slight ring of blue surrounding his gray irises.  
  
"Weasel," he murmured softly.  
  
"Y-yes?"  
  
He smirked, and reached a hand to her cheek slowly, before quickly swiping at her nose. "You had a bit of sauce on your nose," said Draco smirking even wider now.  
  
Ginny felt a blush sweep over her cheeks. "Oh," she muttered. "Er, thanks."  
  
He was still close, she noticed, but he did back up after he gave her an oddly familiar look.  
  
"No problem," Draco said, before turning on his heel and walking away.  
  
It was only after he left that she recognized the look. It was the same face he'd made in her dream.  
  
Right before he'd leaned in.  
  
"Oh God," Ginny said in amazement, stayed frozen in that same spot, till a group of third years passed by giggling, and she remembered her appearance and ran off.  
  
***  
  
"Stupid Weaselette," Draco muttered to himself as he stepped into the shower, allowing himself a slight smile as he felt the water wash away the food on his body. He grabbed a washcloth and proceeded to scrub his face clean, then, remembering how he'd touched her face, scrubbed his hand too. Five minutes later, excessive soap and scrubbing had turned it red, but he was satisfied. He'd managed to completely rid his skin of her essence, or so he thought.   
  
Draco got out of the shower and hoisted a towel around himself, padding out into his room with a smirk. Sometimes, after annoying meetings with snotty Prefects or Granger, he wished he hadn't been chosen as Head Boy, but then he remembered the perks (his own room, bathroom, the ability to stay out late, and bully other students). Not even bothering to get dressed, he flopped backwards on his bed.  
  
Why the hell had he done that? "You've got sauce on your nose." Even in his memory it sounded idiotic. And then he'd touched her-willingly, touched her. Draco shuddered in remembrance. Now, of course, it was repulsive to think of, but then it had been perfectly normal. He thought of every possibility that could account for his odd behavior, but none seemed to fit, except for one.  
  
He sat up, grimacing slightly. "That's it," Draco announced to the empty room. "I'm going insane."  
  
***  
  
Ginny peeked her head out over the staircase railing and breathed a sigh of relief. The common room was completely empty, which meant everyone had already left for dinner. She wasn't at all tempted to join them. After the big and late lunch, followed by the food fight, and washing for almost an hour to get completely clean, Ginny wasn't exactly jumping to eat again. So, she'd decided to go for an evening walk.  
  
She was halfway down the stairs before she thought of something and dashed up the stairs again, only to return with her laptop clutched in her arms. Well, as she thought, I might as well see if Dragon's on while I'm at it.  
  
She sneaked out the front door quietly, managing not to be seen, except by one person lurking in the shadows. Ginny continued on, completely oblivious, till she reached a little secluded willow tree. With branches were bent down to the ground, and sweeping leaves, anyone inside would be completely blocked from outside view. Naturally, this made the tree a common known snogging spot, and Ginny was careful to check if it was occupied before she parted the curtain of whippy branches and stepped through.  
  
The sky was darkening quickly, and the tree was in shadows, so it was especially hard for Ginny to see. She fumbled to remove her wand from her sweatshirt pocket and whispered, "Lumos," before sticking the wand into the soft dirt bright light side up, and settling down on the ground.  
  
She opened up her computer, glad for the full night of charging it had gotten. Ginny signed on as Pyropinkmonkey12, and eagerly checked her buddy list. She gave a little sound of disappointment at seeing Dragon wasn't on. He and a couple of her Muggle-born friends were the only ones on the list, but since she was the only one with a laptop, they weren't on at Hogwarts. So, he was the only one she ever talked to now.  
  
Ginny sighed and clicked on the Mail button. Even though she was online a lot, most of the time it was spent either talking to Dragon or browsing sites he showed her. Sometimes she took funny online quizzes, but most of them were about Muggle celebrities and such. Her favorite online pastime, however, was looking at sites on "witches." The information was so bogus it always made her laugh.  
  
She went to her favorites and clicked on one of the quiz pages. As it was loading, a pop-up appeared, and when she moved the cursor to close it, accidentally clicked on the link. It led back to the main site, something about tracing your family's history.  
  
Ginny snorted at the computer screen. "Like I really need to trace my family, the last thing anyone of us needs is more relatives," she said dryly, laughing a bit at her own joke. Suddenly, a thought struck. Her eyes lit up, and she leaned close to see the keyboard, before typing the word Claydor in the space for family name and pressed Enter.  
  
Why didn't I think of something like this sooner? She thought with amazement. Once the new page loaded, she scanned it eagerly, but her face fell at the words "No information matching your request." The site did suggest other things, like splitting it up to be Clay and Dor, or that maybe it had been mistranslated, or changed legally. She groaned in frustration. That did no good, it just opened up a whole new can of worms for her to sort through.  
  
Ginny growled in frustration, and was contemplating slamming the lid of her laptop shut, but then she realized that might not be the best place to vent her anger. Sighing, she shut the machine down and closed it gently, then leaned against the gnarled tree trunk.  
  
"Stupid project, stupid Ferret boy, stupid Professor, stupid everything," she muttered to herself.  
  
Suddenly, the branches parted. Startled, Ginny jumped up, clumsily grabbing her still glowing wand from the ground and pointing it shakily at the intruder. A man's head popped through.  
  
"Miss Weasley?"  
  
Her jaw dropped. "P-Professor Ivanovich?" She stuttered.  
  
***  
  
Draco picked at his food, overturning potatoes and chicken pieces in his boredom. All around him, his stupidest housemates filled his ears with incessant chatter. So and so's dress robes are out of style, someone else was rumored to be dating a Hufflepuff, and yet another person was whining about grades.  
  
Idly, Draco wondered what they'd do if he just snapped and started screaming at them, cursing everything in sight.  
  
Thinking up which curse would be best suited for which Slytherin kept the blonde boy occupied for the rest of dinner. It was only afterwards, however, once he'd run out of spells and was heading back towards the common room, did his boredom return in full force.  
  
He started to watch a chess game between two fifth years he didn't know, but he quickly lost interest. Draco sighed inwardly. What he really wanted to do, go on his computer and chat a bit with Cocoa, would be sure to get him ostracized and possibly hurt in the Slytherin Common Room. He blanched a bit, and decided to find something else to occupy his time.  
  
Draco turned to look at Pierce sitting in the armchair across from him. "So," he started, squinting to try and read the title of the book the other boy was reading. "What's that?"  
  
Pierce looked up with an expression of disgust on his features. "'History of the Founders.' One of the most boring books in existence I think," he paused for a wide yawn. "I'm doing badly in History of Magic, so Binns said that if I read this book and write a four foot essay on it, he'll consider passing me. Damn ghost." He passed Draco the book.  
  
Turning it over to the back, he saw some tiny print. Squinting again, he barely managed to read the summary of the book. Basically, it was a detailed history of almost everything that had ever occurred in the famous four's lives. He wouldn't have been surprised if there was even a chapter on their potty training days.  
  
Since Pierce didn't seem to want it back any time soon, Draco flipped to a random chapter near the end and read the title out loud. "'The Next Generation.'" He smirked. "Well, you were right; I doubt even the Mudblood could read this."  
  
"Yeah, but if I want to graduate, I have to read it," Pierce said with a slightly bitter laugh.  
  
"Well, you don't look too excited about it. Mind if I take a look?"  
  
The look the other boy gave him made it clear he thought Draco was insane, but he shrugged. "Knock yourself out."  
  
What the heck, I'm bored anyways, maybe this'll actually put me to sleep, Draco thought dryly. Nevertheless, he opened the book back to the Next Generation chapter. Maybe there was going be some sex in it.  
  
Alas, there was absolutely no mention of sex, or anything remotely interesting. It just talked about how the relationships of the founders affected their magic.  
  
Of course, it was almost mandatory for anyone who attended Hogwarts to know of the pairs. Rowena Ravenclaw had been with Salazar Slytherin, and the goody two shoes Gryffindor had shacked up with Helga Hufflepuff. The leftover, as Draco so fondly thought of her. Even now, the Houses still displayed some sort of those bonds. The only other acceptable match for a Slytherin was a Ravenclaw, and though Ravenclaws were much more open-minded about relationships, they didn't freak out like Gryffindors if a housemate was friends with a Slytherin.  
  
This chapter was just recapping all Draco already knew. Getting vastly bored, he skipped backwards to see the chapter on the construction of Hogwarts. He was dozing within minutes.  
  
***  
  
"What are you doing here?" He asked. She started at the harshness underlying his voice.  
  
Ginny put her wand down from the fighting stance she'd adopted at the sound of an intruder. "I went for a walk, Professor," she replied defensively.  
  
Ivanovich was silent for a moment. "Alright, but in the future, I would advise you to be more careful," he said. "It won't do for young students to be wandering out this late at night," the DADA professor added in an undertone.  
  
The redhead bristled at his voice and nodded curtly, before stooping and starting to gather her laptop. "Fine," she muttered, "I'll be heading back then, I guess."  
  
She brushed past the older man, but his arm snaked out and grabbed her arm. Ginny stifled a shocked cry as his fingers dug in, knowing they'd leave marks behind.  
  
Before she could get her arm free or yell at her professor, he leaned down and whispered to her, "I know what your little plan is. You're going to Russia, and I can't stop you, but I sure as hell can warn you. You mess with this, and I won't hesitate to get rid of you." His grip tightened. "Merlin knows no one will miss you," Ivanovich sneered viciously.   
  
She tore herself away from his grasp, and sprinted towards the castle. Ivanovich watched her go with a cold stare.  
  
***  
  
Draco awoke with a start, groggily pushing away the hand gently shaking his shoulder. "What do ya want?" He slurred sleepily.  
  
The hand shoved harder. "Wake up, you idiot. It's almost eleven, and I need my book back."  
  
That woke him up a bit more, and Draco opened his eyes finally. The vision of Pierce's annoyed face in front of him blurred, then went back to normal as he yawned. Stretching, Draco handed over the book and started to get up.  
  
"Alright, I'm up," said Draco irritably. He hated taking naps or going to bed early. He could never get back to sleep afterwards, and they usually just left him more tired than before. Pierce grunted and headed back to the dorm, clearly intent on more sleep now that he had his dull book back. Draco watched him go with slight annoyance. Though he wasn't too eager to spend the whole night in an armchair in the Slytherin Common Room, it was preferable to staring at the ceiling in the dorm, listening to his roommates snore.  
  
His eye twitched involuntarily at the thought.  
  
Finally, Draco managed to drag his body up the stairs to his bed, collapsing on it with a colossal yawn. A loud snore reached his ears, and fed up, he snapped the curtains shut, casting the strongest silencing spell he knew.  
  
With blessed quiet all around him, Draco leaned back, and tried to fall asleep again. After about two minutes of waiting, he snapped his eyes open again and sighed, then rolled onto his side, thinking a different position would help him sleep.  
  
It didn't.  
  
Getting frustrated now, Draco shut his eyes tight and tried to think of anything calming, that would get him to sleep.  
  
And somehow his thoughts drifted to Ginny.  
  
His mind recalled a conversation he'd had with Stephen and Pierce a while ago. Pierce had said she was pretty (though he'd used cruder words). Draco, in that state of drowsy half-sleep, considered it. Yeah, he could see that. A sudden vision of him snogging her drifted in. He smirked and rolled over onto his side. Maybe I will try some of the things my roommates are gonna do for their partners on the research trip, he thought.  
  
With a gasp, his eyes snapped open and he shot straight up. Needless to say, he didn't sleep too well that night.  
  
***  
  
Ginny shut the door to her room behind her and leaned against it, heart pounding. Her breath came fast and shallow, and she squeezed her eyes shut. Finally, her body seemed to calm down, and she slid to the ground, wrapping her arms around her knees.   
  
It was a good thing her roommates were all still at dinner, or else they would have been questioning her like mad. Ginny lifted her head up to make sure the coast was clear, and caught sight of her arm. She paled considerably. There was a clear handprint on the flesh of her upper arm.  
  
Ginny stood, her resolve to clean up a bit strengthening her shaky legs. One of her roommates-Annabelle, was it? She couldn't really remember-was interested in Medical magic, and Ginny knew she had some books on the subject. With only a bit of guilt, she started rifling through the girl's belongings, past clothes, makeup, and other things, till she found a book on common ailments. She flipped it open to the index and quickly located a spell to get rid of a rather large bruise. She said the words, and instantly sighed in relief as the pain in her upper arm lessened, then faded away completely.  
  
As she put the book and her laptop away, Ginny thought over what she could do now. As much as she'd like to shrug off Ivanovich's threat, she knew he wasn't joking. But she couldn't just abandon the project, and let a murderer walk free!   
  
Ginny wasn't even aware she'd been pacing till she tripped over Tina's bed with a high-pitched shriek. Blinking in surprise, she sat up, and winced before moving the book she was sitting on away from her. The pages were bent, and Ginny grimaced as she opened the book and tried to flatten the creases again. Tina was so obsessive about things like that.  
  
Her eyes were drawn to the spell at the top of the page she was fixing. It was an advanced Charms book, and she didn't recognize the spell, though it looked interesting. Apparently, it was supposed to guide you to the thing that would best help you in whatever you specified you were searching for.  
  
"'Most used for missing persons, items, or information…" she read quietly, trailing off at the information part. Getting excited quickly, she scanned the spell. It looked rather simple, the only problem was that it would continue draining magic from her body until the spell found and delivered whatever it was that would help her. She bit her lip at that. Ginny knew of the dangers of things like that, but this important.  
  
Her resolve strengthened, she stood and started the spell. "I need to find out information on William Claydor and his death," she said firmly, then looked down at the book and read off the words of the spell. There was a bright light, and some pain in Ginny's chest. The light grew brighter as the pain grew worse, and Ginny knew it was the magic being sucked out of her for the search.  
  
Finally, there was a sudden wrench in her heart, and the light blinked out. The pain faded away for the most part, and Ginny collapsed on her bed in relief. On the palm of her wand hand, a bright circle had been imprinted. It was to stay there until the search was complete, then once it faded away, she'd come back to the place where she started the spell and retrieve whatever it was that would help her.  
  
She stared at the circle mark for a long time, yawning widely. That spell had taken a lot out of her. She heard some footsteps approaching, and, not wanting to answer any odd questions, Ginny hurried to put away the book. Aimee came in just as Ginny shoved her marked hand behind her and out of sight.  
  
"Hey Gin," her friend said. "Why weren't you at dinner?"  
  
Ginny made a face. "It's a long story." Seeing the unfazed look on her friends face, she sighed and told the whole story of her food fight with Malfoy. By the end, Aimee was giggling hysterically, and the redhead was crimson with embarrassment.   
  
"Shut up!" Shrieked Ginny as she heaved a gold pillow at her guffawing best friend. Aimee gave a small, "Oof!" as it hit and knocked her backwards. She reappeared with her hair in a disarray and glaring furiously.  
  
"Oh you're gonna pay for that one. Bring it here!" Aimee cried, chucking another pillow at her friend. It took several more solid hits on both sides, before the finally collapsed on the floor next to each other, breathing heavily.  
  
"That was fun," Ginny said through shallow breaths. She laughed. "I've been acting so childish today. First a food fight, now a pillow fight. Might as well just put my hair in pigtails and grab a dolly."  
  
Aimee laughed at that. "We needed a break," she said with a shrug. Getting up and leaning back on her forearms, she added, "All this studying isn't good for us. It's a proven fact you know. Too much studying and," here she leaned close to Ginny conspiratorially, "we'll end up like Hermione!"  
  
The redhead laughed loudly at that, till her stomach protested and she clutched the stitch in her side. She loved Hermione dearly, sure, but sometimes her study habits were just a bit too much to handle. Ginny sighed. I wonder if she and Ron and Harry are all okay again? She thought sadly.  
  
She didn't dwell on that for long, because Aimee had thrown another pillow at her, and really, what could be wrong with the world during a pillow fight?  
  
***  
  
Wow, I revised this chapter so bloody much, it isn't even funny. After Ivanovich like hurt her, it started to get all depressing…not my intent for this story! An American Witch in Hogwarts is my angsty story ^_~ 


	13. Change of Plans

Author's Note: Wow. I'm amazed at how many death threats I got for that teaser. ::dodges one last barrage of pointy objects:: A ton of people commented on the fact that all I gave you was Drunk!Ginny. But really, her behavior as a drunk in this chapter is a key part in the subtler plot of this fic, and definitely holds some hidden sociological and political meanings. Alright that's a lie. Drunk!Ginny is entertaining to write and I needed it for her and Draco to meet up in this chapter. Ok after that loooong author's note, the chapter is here, and it's (hopefully) good, so read!!  
  
Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.  
  
You've Got Mail: Ch.12-Changed Plans  
  
ResidentEvil: Hey Cocoa  
  
Pyropinkmonkey12: Hi  
  
ResidentEvil: What's up?  
  
Pyropinkmonkey12: Eh, not too much. You remember that huge project I told you about? It's still going on, but at least it's gotten a bit interesting now. You?  
  
ResidentEvil: Hah, nothing so fascinating. Even though it's a beautiful autumn afternoon, I'm shut up in my room, doing homework.  
  
Ginny laughed as she read Dragon's response. She could just imagine a boy's face fake pouting. Dragon could be so prone to drama sometimes. By now, she had learned to just laugh at him and move on.  
  
Though, as she considered it, he seemed to actually be right. Outside her window, brightly hued leaves were falling, and a gentle breeze stirred one branch against her window. She typed a reply to Dragon, and their conversation continued casually for a little while before he signed off, saying he had to do homework.  
  
Ginny grimaced as she realized that she too should probably be doing her homework too. Though she would be excused from classes to go on the Russia trip, she wasn't excused from the workload. Exhaling softly, she pulled her Transfiguration book and parchment towards her, and headed for the Common Room.  
  
The first thing she noticed upon her descent of the spiraling staircases was her brother. He sat in one armchair, closest to the fireplace, hunched down with his hands clasped broodingly over his chest. Ginny sighed inwardly. He'd been that silent and moody since the revelation that his best friends were sneaking around behind his back. In that respect, Ginny was almost glad she wasn't part of their little circle, she'd hate to go through such pain as her brother.  
  
Though, she thought with annoyance, I might as well be in that pain, for all the comforting I'm gonna have to give Ron.  
  
Outwardly, she smiled sadly. "Hey Ron," she said softly while sitting in the armchair next to his. He grunted in response. Ginny ignored it. "How're you and your partner doing with the project?"  
  
Another grunt, this time accompanied by a slight shoulder shrug. Ginny felt her lips twitch in annoyance.  
  
"I thought I heard someone mention you'll both be going to Paris next week, that sounds great!"  
  
A louder grunt.  
  
Ginny finally snapped. Clenching her fists, she stood up and towered in front of his chair. "Ronald Weasley, that is IT!" She shrieked. He looked up, startled, and that expression only magnified when she grabbed his arms and heaved her older brother to his feet. There weren't many people in the Common Room, but those who were there either gasped or started to giggle quietly. She glared at them.  
  
"What are you doing?" He hissed.  
  
"I'm getting you off your lazy arse, and forcing you to make up with your best friends! You've all been together for nearly seven years, and I'm not letting all that time go down the drain because of a stupid fight!" Ginny yelled.  
  
Just at that moment Harry and Hermione walked sullenly through the portrait hole. They both looked as miserable as Ron, but their expressions changed when they saw Ginny yelling at Ron.  
  
Ginny took firm hold of her brother's shoulders and steered him to where the pair was standing. "Now, Ronald, what do you have to say to Harry and Hermione?" She said patronizingly.  
  
He squirmed in her grasp. "Nothing!" He said with a scowl, pouting a bit.  
  
Her grip tightened; Ron yelped. "What do you have to say???" Her voice was like iron.  
  
Ron sighed a bit. "Harry, Hermione, I'm sorry I overreacted about you two. You're a great couple, and I hope you'll be able to forgive me," he told them sincerely.  
  
Ginny let go of him as Hermione rushed forward to hug him. "Oh, you shouldn't be apologizing, it's all my fault! We never should have been sneaking around, it was all my idea! I was just scared of what you'd say!"  
  
Harry stepped forward too, smiling at his two best friends. "Hey, it wasn't all your idea, 'Mione, I thought it was a great idea. I had tons of chances to tell Ron, but I didn't. I'm sorry, mate." Hermione, sniffling a bit, let him into the hug, till they were all together once again.  
  
Ginny felt a slight pang in her chest and left the room quickly, not wanting to watch the trio any longer.  
  
: : : : :  
  
Draco was walking slowly to his room from the library, deep in thought. He had just been talking to Cocoa earlier, and when he'd been forced to sign off, it had been rather annoying. He liked talking to her. He liked making her laugh, and he liked hearing about her day.  
  
He stopped, with one eyebrow making its way upwards. He liked her.  
  
However, before he could even follow that thought any further, slight, sly footsteps reached his ears. Instantly on the defensive, he settled into a slight crouch, right hand reaching for his wand. Once it was securely in his hand, he peered around him, and walked towards the noise, seemingly coming from a side corridor near him.  
  
Stopping once he heard giggles, Draco sighed. It was probably just Peeves.  
  
"Wheee!!!!"  
  
"Oof!"  
  
Alright, so maybe it wasn't Peeves. Peeves didn't jump on his back, squealing like a school girl.  
  
Once Draco started breathing and coughing, he shoved the girl (it had definitely been a female squeal) off his back, and gripped her arms. He let out a sigh of exasperation when he saw it was Ginny Weasley, clutching a half-empty bottle of Firewhiskey and swaying on her feet.  
  
He dropped her in disgust; she fell to the floor, and looked up at him dazedly. "Hey youss," she slurred out, dissolving into giggles.  
  
"Weasley..." he growled out through clenched teeth. Crouching, he grabbed the alcohol bottle, ignoring her protests. "I think you've had enough of this."  
  
The redhead pouted, reaching up for the bottle weakly. "Give that back, Dra...Dray...Drey..."  
  
"Draco," he supplied with annoyance.  
  
"Draco!" She smiled brightly. "That's it, Draco!"  
  
He stifled the urge to roll his eyes. At least she wasn't attacking him to get the drink back, as he knew some drunks would. What on Earth had possessed her to drink half a bottle of Firewhiskey? "Weasley," he started, then sighed as he realized she was busy staring at her hand, bringing it close to her face then back again, fascinated. He nudged her with his foot. "Hey, Weasel. Why'd you get so drunk?"  
  
She switched suddenly from being overly happy and bubbly, to sulky. If he needed any more proof of her drunken state, there it was. "Don' wann' say..." Ginny slurred.  
  
Draco's lips twitched. "No, that's not an answer. Why did you get so drunk?" He demanded.  
  
She opened her mouth, and Draco smirked inwardly. Finally, he'd get some kind of real answer!  
  
Unfortunately, the only answer he got was vomit all over the stones next to him.  
  
"Ugh!" He yelled. Gagging, he stepped away from her, trying to resist the urge to scream and hop around, flailing his arms. He masked it with a shudder.  
  
Ginny had collapsed on the floor, groaning a bit. Draco sighed. He heard some footsteps approaching, and knew that it might not be such a good idea for either of them to linger. She looked in no position to walk on her, so he knelt and tried to help her up. She flopped against him, as boneless as a rag doll.  
  
"You're really pushing it," he muttered darkly, finally relenting and picking her up, with one arm awkwardly under her knees and the other under her back. He started walking, not quite sure where to take her and finally deciding on his room.  
  
She was murmuring something quietly, and he leaned his head down to hear her better.  
  
"Stupid trio...always together...little me, left all alone...why me?...not fair..." She was saying angrily. Draco quickly put the pieces together. Damn, he thought with an mock sigh, I guess the Dream Team is back together again. And she's the forgotten one once again.  
  
Deep down, he almost felt bad for her. No wonder she felt like drowning her sorrows in liquor. Sighing once more, he tightened his hold on her and walked quicker.  
  
By the time, he got to his room, the girl was asleep, and he was almost staggering with her dead weight. Getting annoyed, Draco headed straight for the bathroom. With a slight fumble, he managed to turn on the water. He let the cold water run. When the water level had reached an appropriate height, Draco leaned over ungracefully and dumped Ginny straight in the freezing tub.  
  
As he retreated out of the bathroom, he could hear a shriek of "DAMN YOU DRACO MALFOY!!!" His smirk just widened on his face. Life could be good sometimes.  
  
: : : : :  
  
When she finally emerged from the bathroom a little while later, Draco was reading his Potions book quietly. Well, more like staring at one sentence, waiting in anticipation for Ginny to leave the bathroom. He sincerely wanted to see the murderous look on her face. Looking up, he could see he hadn't been disappointed. Her eyes were barely more than slits in her head, and he could tell the blush on her face was from anger. His gaze drifted over her. Her hair was still damp, and the sound of water dripping drew his eyes to her clothes. She was still in her soaking school uniform.  
  
"Why didn't you just dry your clothes? Where's your wand?" He asked her curiously.  
  
Ginny winced from her hangover, and then looked even angrier, if that was possible. "I didn't exactly bank on needing it when I went out to get myself smashed, Malfoy," she ground out through gritted teeth.  
  
An idea popped into his head. "You know," he drawled lazily. "I could let you borrow my wand. But..."  
  
"But what?" If looks could kill, Draco would be dead and rotting already.  
  
He smirked. "But I don't really feel like it. So you just stay here like a nice little girl, and once your clothes dry, you can leave. Or you can ask me very nicely," he said, standing from his bed to lean against the bed post.  
  
Ginny sighed. "Oh please, please, please, won't you let me use your wand so I can get out of here?" She asked in a monotone.  
  
"Nuh-uh. Nicer than that. I can still feel the hate all the way through," retorted Draco, shaking his head.  
  
"Please, Malfoy?"  
  
He appeared to consider it. "That's better, but still no," he told her, twirling his wand between his fingers. Draco looked down and smirked. "Besides, that white blouse is quite lovely see-through. Lilac bra today? Any matching panties?"  
  
Her hand was moving quickly to slap him across the face, but Draco had foreseen her move and ducked his head to the side. There was a hollow Thwock sound as her palm hit the wooden bedpost, before she yanked her arm back, cursing profusely. Still bright red with anger, however, she just tried to punch him in the stomach.  
  
Draco grabbed her hand and twisted it, till she gave a yelp of pain.  
  
"Let go of me you bastard!" Ginny shrieked.  
  
He hung on grimly. "Sorry, dear, but you forfeited all rights to hit me when you got smashed and jumped me, Weasel."  
  
She stopped struggling, and looked down abashedly. He loosened his grip just a tiny bit.  
  
"So what did you get drunk for anyway? You mumbled something about the Dream Team, but I didn't quite hear." He had understood the reason for her drinking perfectly well, but it was so much fun to see her cowed like this.  
  
And cowed she was. Her head sunk further down towards her chest. "I-I- "  
  
He cut her off. "You..?"  
  
Her head snapped up angrily, and she wrenched her wrist out of his hold. "Why the hell do you care anyways Malfoy? It's none of your goddamn business, so just leave me alone!!"  
  
She stormed out the door angrily, and Draco sighed, knowing he'd blown it once more.  
  
: : : : :  
  
Ginny stalked to the library, shoving aside younger students and glaring at those who gawked at her wet clothes. She launched in, and threw herself at her usual chair, slumping down to hide behind stacks of books.  
  
She almost felt like crying, or getting drunk again. Wait, never mind, she thought as she remembered the consequences of that decision a few hours ago. She felt sick at the thought of how she'd acted. Burying her face in her hands, Ginny was glad that the library-this part of it especially-was completely devoid of people to stare at her.  
  
She stayed in that self-pitying position for a while, until she heard footsteps. Ginny prayed they would turn, and somehow leave her to her wallowing, but no, they got closer and closer. Finally, the footsteps stopped very close to her and she heard the scraping noise of a chair being pulled out.  
  
Ginny peeked through her fingers, and shut them again quickly, barely containing a moan of despair. It was Malfoy. He was just sitting at a table a bit away from hers, calmly reading some big book. She waited for him to call out or something, or even just look up, but no, he just sat there.  
  
Ginny just kept her head down on the desk, eyes shut, till she finally heard his voice.  
  
"Nice day, isn't it?"  
  
She lifted her head in disbelief. "Excuse me?"  
  
He ignored her comment. "Well normally I'm not such a fan of autumn-a spring guy, I am-but these colored leaves are actually rather pretty."  
  
Ginny gave a snort.  
  
"So, what brings you to the library? I hope it's not last minute studying, tsk tsk, you should really be keeping up with your work. 'Never put off till tomorrow what you can do today,' that's what my mother always said. Or is it 'Life is like a sewer... what you get out of it depends on what you put into it.' You know I always get those confused...hmm..."  
  
Ginny gritted her teeth. "What on Earth are you going on about Malfoy? Just leave me alone."  
  
Draco paused. When he finally spoke, Ginny could hear the sadness and hesitation in his voice. "I suppose I feel, uh, bad. I figured out what happened between the Dream Team to make you drown your sorrows. I just wanted to make you say it because-well, because I don't know."  
  
"Because you're an evil bastard?" She suggested with a small grim smile.  
  
His face twitched. "I suppose I deserved that one," he muttered.  
  
There was silence for a few moments, before Ginny spoke.  
  
"D'you think it was stupid of me to get drunk over that?"  
  
She heard the scraping of chair against floor, and Draco slid into the seat across from her. He took a deep breath. "I think," Draco said carefully. "That it's really none of my business. If you want to cry and get drunk over the Dream Team, it's your choice. I wouldn't advise it all the time, but hey, your call."  
  
Ginny laughed, and Draco inwardly sighed in relief. Eager to change the subject, he pulled the brooch out of his pocket.  
  
"Should we start looking up information about this beauty?" Draco asked, running his fingers over the smooth gold surface and turning it so it glinted prettily.  
  
Ginny nodded, looking just as mesmerized as he was by the shiny brooch, and they got to work.  
  
Later, as Draco was browsing through the magical items section for a book on medieval jewelry, his hand traveled into his pocket and found the brooch once more. He was stroking it, letting his mind wander as he mechanically pulled out books and shoved them back.  
  
Ginny had been so secretive about this whole damn project, from William Claydor to Russia to the brooch. "What's the big deal about this stupid little thing?" He murmured softly. But even as he said the words, he knew that somehow, for some reason, the small gold brooch was a big deal.  
  
An idea was beginning to form in his head. Later, he'd think back on that decision and wonder if it had been blind luck or some sort of hindsight. Maybe just a bit of both.  
  
Grabbing one small book in the corner of the jewelry section, Draco flipped through the pages till he found the right spell, and smiled.  
  
: : : : :  
  
Ginny sighed softly as she rotated her neck to the right, then the left, gently easing out the kinks she had formed from almost an hour of bending forward. She'd found a lot of information on the brooch (it seemed to have been pretty common in the Middle Ages) but so far she'd had little luck with determining its actual importance in spells and charms.  
  
Getting annoyed, she decided to take a break and see how her partner was doing. He'd disappeared awhile ago, into the back section of books. Ginny stood and peered around her, but the library was quiet and still. She closed her book and started walking around.  
  
"Malfoy?" She called out hesitantly. There was an answering grunt from a few bookshelves to the right. Ginny headed towards the sound.  
  
"Malfoy, if you aren't doing something productive, I may just kill you," muttered Ginny angrily. She turned the corner, and was pleasantly surprised. He seemed like he'd actually been working. He was sitting on the ground, two books open in front of him, and a few others scattered around. He was peering into one of the open books and was holding something in front of him. At the sound of her footsteps he shut the books and hid whatever he'd been holding, spinning with the look of a wild animal in his eyes.  
  
"Oh, it's just you," he said with relief and mild disgust. Ginny rolled her eyes.  
  
"Just wanted to see how you're doing. Made any progress?"  
  
Draco coughed and started rearranging the books around him. "Eh, well you know how it is..." he trailed off. Looking up, he added, "I guess I haven't made much progress really, but I'm close."  
  
She sighed deeply, more out of disappointment than annoyance really. "Well, what were you holding?" She asked.  
  
"I may have found something. Don't get too excited though." He reached out to pass her something and she walked closer. "I'm quite positive the brooch does have some magical qualities, I just don't know exactly what they are."  
  
Ginny took what he offered; it was just the brooch. She peered closely at it. Was it just her own mind thinking of what Draco had just said, or did the bauble really seem different? She looked up, opening her mouth to ask him something, but he cut her off.  
  
"You should take it, until we leave for Russia, but take good care of it. I don't know what it is about this thing, but I get the feeling it's more important than we know." His tone was grave, and Ginny nodded solemnly, gazing down at the bit of gold in her open palm.  
  
He started packing his stuff up, sliding the books into the places where he'd found them. "I have to go," Draco started. "Quidditch practice and all that. I suppose I'll see you when we leave?"  
  
She nodded, and he passed her on the way out of the library, pausing for a second beside her. He reached out, and gently closed her fingers over the brooch, fingers lingering as he pressed her fist closed. "Remember what I said," he whispered, and then he was gone, leaving Ginny with her heart racing and her mind whirling, trying to calm down.  
  
: : : : :  
  
"Mister Malfoy? Would you stay behind for a moment?"  
  
Draco stopped in the middle of packing his things and looked up curiously, before nodding impassively at Professor Ivanovich. Pierce and Stephen, already starting for the door to their next classes, gave him strange looks, wondering if they should wait for him. He waved them out the door. Draco walked up to the front desk. "Professor?" He asked.  
  
Ivanovich stayed seated. "I just wanted to remind you that the east Europe Portkey group will be leaving tomorrow at nine, outside the Transfiguration classroom. Your head teacher will be Professor McGonagall. From your port in Europe you and Miss Weasley will be going to St. Petersburg; no one else is going that way so it will only be you two and a guide at the other end. I trust I don't have to remind you of the rules?" He raised one dark eyebrow, and Draco found himself flushing faintly as he shook his head no.  
  
Ivanovich raised his hand in a curt dismissal, and Draco started for the exit, before stopping short. "Should I tell Weasley the meeting place?"  
  
The professor froze for a split second, but then he cleared his throat and continued shuffling papers. "No no, don't worry about that, Professor McGonagall will tell her. And one more thing: leave off on the researching tonight. I know you both have been working hard. Just take the night off for relaxing." Ivanovich smiled widely at the younger boy. Draco felt himself yawning widely, and suddenly, sleep sounded like the best thing in the world to him. He said his goodbye-which was split halfway by a loud yawn-and started out the door, willing himself to wake up a bit.  
  
Draco barely even made it to his room before collapsing on the bed and beginning to snore softly.  
  
: : : : :  
  
Ginny was walking with Colin and Aimee to Herbology after lunch when she heard someone yell, "Miss Weasley!"  
  
She turned around, in surprise. It was Professor McGonagall, rounding the corridor and coming nearer to the trio in the middle of the hall. Ginny looked at her friends. "You guys go ahead; I'll be there in a second. Tell Sprout I had to talk to McGonagall."  
  
Her friends nodded and left, and Ginny walked towards her Transfiguration teacher.  
  
"Yes Professor?" She asked with genuine curiosity. McGonagall wasn't the type to chase after students.  
  
The older woman seemed a bit winded, so she took her time in answering. "Tomorrow you'll be going with me by Portkey to your hotel in St. Petersburg. The Portkey leaves at seven, on the beginning of the trail outside the Forbidden Forest. I don't think I need to tell you to be on time."  
  
Ginny frowned. "I thought we were going first to Prague, with a big group," she objected.  
  
"We had to change the plans," McGonagall said. "The group was too big, so you and Mr. Malfoy will be going to Russia separately."  
  
Ginny nodded; the professor jerked her head curtly and walked down the hall, obviously in a hurry. The redhead checked her watch and hurried off too.  
  
The professor ducked behind into the nearest closed door, having just enough time to shut it tightly before she collapsed on the floor.  
  
A series of short spasms and choked back gasps later, Professor McGonagall looked very different indeed. Her robes fit this new body much tighter around the shoulders and chest, and ended shortly at hairy wrists. It was clear too that the robes were much too short, probably ending around muscular calves.  
  
One large rugged hand undressed the new body, slipping easily into a crisp shirt and slacks, before shrugging on a more correctly fitting robe. The other hand fished out a mirror and held it up.  
  
Boris Ivanovich smiled coldly at himself in the mirror, and headed out the door, hand discreetly patting the vial of Polyjuice in his pocket. Once he shut the door, he heard someone call his name. He turned to face the real Minerva McGonagall.  
  
"Yes Minerva?"  
  
"I just wanted to make sure you told all the students about the departure time tomorrow?" She asked him.  
  
He nodded and smiled kindly. "But of course," he said in a murmur.  
  
: : : : :  
  
Ginny yawned and then shivered, wrapping the edges of her Muggle windbreaker tighter around her body as she walked. The air around her was foggy, but off in the distance she could see the dark line of the Forbidden Forest looming. She shivered again, but this time she wasn't so sure it was from cold. Something about having to meet so early in the dark and cloudy morning by the Forest scared her.  
  
Her feet had begun walking quicker of their own accord, and she checked her watch. 6:54. Good, she was just on time. She reached the path to the Forbidden Forest and stopped, tapping her foot impatiently and slightly worriedly. Ginny knew Draco could be an inconsiderately tardy git, but Professor McGonagall? Something was wrong.  
  
Her eyes widened; the silence around her was suddenly oppressive and too silent. She inhaled deeply, and was about to spin around, when a hard object met the back of her head, and she slumped to the ground, her head a blinding pain. Then, "_Stupefy_," and merciful darkness closed in.  
  
: : : : :  
  
Sorry again about the wait...Super thanks to all reviewers:  
  
**Dizzie May, Croaker, The White Wolf, deatheater4life, Writergurl4, ncjn, saccharine, lilblondiey214, Yamis-girl202, MoonlightPrincess, CheesieCake, rutupatel, jessiebear, Whippy Bird, mell8, thundergoddes, H.S, Dracoluver209, Kassi of Pirate's Swoop, Draconigena1, timeneverhealswithoutyoubymyside, MaurderMoonyLover, zennou-sakusha, SarkLover, Skitzo-phrenick, Ginny234448, Lara Potter, rockon2680, Moranar, tuesday54, Loving, Crystal Moon Magic, Me Acorn and Sometimes Banana, duckie, bigreader, Starswinger, Lollypop Ladeez, Karandash, Femme Draconis, Icy Lullaby, Grumpy1, little-rowie, kneh13, LilJenReeds, and HeatherWeasley- Lover**. (Sorry if I forgot you!)  
  
AND great thanks to everyone who contributed to getting that little review number to over 300! I love you guys! 


	14. Two Kidnappings For the Price of None!

Author's Note: Dear GOD do I love you peopleI'll try to do shout outs-or at least name all of you-in the next chapter, but I just want this chapter out. Forgive any errors, I'm rushing for the sake of updating.

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.

You've Got Mail: Ch.13-Two Kidnappings For the Price of None!

The first thing Ginny felt as she woke up was the throbbing pain in the back of her head. Groaning, she tried to reach a hand up to massage her aching scalp.

That was when she discovered she was tied up.

Brown eyes widening, Ginny immediately tried to kick out, and break her hands free, but she was securely tied to something. She opened her mouth, and fortunately found she still had her voice.

"Help me! Help!! Anyone, please!!" She screamed as loud as she could. A few birds took to the sky, shrieking and cawing, but other than that, there was absolute silence all around her. Ginny shivered as a cold wind blew eerily through the forest.

Sadly, for not the first time, Ginny felt honestly scared for her life.

_Calm down, Ginny, you need to calm down. You're a Gryff, remember? Be brave_,She told herself in her head. _Look around. Analyze the situation. You can get through this._

Speaking harshly to herself did the trick, as Ginny immediately stopped struggling and began to examine her bonds and the area around her. Remembering what she could from before she blacked out, Ginny figured the pain in her head was from being hit by a rock or something. Her hands were tied tightly at the wrist behind her, preventing any movement that way. Her legs were also immobile by the Leg-Locker Curse, and bound to the mysterious object, but as Ginny moved her back she deduced it was probably a tree of some kind. The woods around her were generically woodlike, so that was no help. The sky was blocked by trees stretching and reaching their clawlike branches towards the heavens. Ginny couldn't even tell what time it was.

As the initial fear began to ebb, anger flowed in to take its place. Ivanovich was behind it all! She probably should have expected it-he _was_ a murderer, after all-but she still hadn't suspected a single thing.

"How could I be so stupid!?!" She loudly berated herself.

Head bowed, Ginny was able to see the palm of her wand hand, and she remembered the search spell she'd conducted a few days ago. The bright circle that had marked her before was now gone. She guessed it was because Ivanovich knew quite a bit about Claydor-and especially about his death.

_Great, _she thought angrily. _So the stupid spell works this indirectly? That was pretty useless then. Any more information about this whole situation might actually kill me._

Shoulders slumping in defeat, she leaned back against the tree, struggling to keep an optimistic thought in her head. Eventually she gave up.

* * *

Draco woke from his 'nap' at almost eleven at night. Somewhat groggily, he was shocked to find that the sky outside his window was dark. He almost thought he was going crazy till he remembered that he'd fallen asleep around four in the afternoon.

"Weird..." he muttered to himself, yawning and rubbing his still sleepy eyes.

Once he was fully awake, Draco found himself to be extremely bored. His dorm mates were snoring around him, and he was too lively to go back to sleep. An idea hit him suddenly, and he padded quietly out of his bed, before grabbing his computer and heading down the stairs towards the common room.

It was late, and the Slytherin common room was empty save for him and a crackling fire. So it was a smug Draco that took the comfiest, largest, warmest armchair nearest the fire. He put his laptop on his knees and opened the screen gently, pressing the power button. Hope clear in gray eyes, Draco signed onto AOL. He scanned screen, then sat back with a sigh. He'd really been hoping Cocoa would be on. In the logical part of his head, he knew it was far too late, but still, it would have been nice to say goodbye before the trip tomorrow morning.

He groaned at the thought of the trip. Three days, stuck with little Ginny Weasley, with her having the only knowledge of where exactly they were even going! Hell, he'd been in the dark about half this project right from the start. From picking their vampire, to the mysterious brooch, to going to Russia to research an English vampire, it had all been her.

He almost felt disgustingly weak for constantly bowing down to her wishes, but it seemed like every time he wanted to complain, she just looked up at him, batted her lashes against tear-filled doe eyes, and pouted, and he found the words in his mouth turn to ash. That and the fact that an angry Weaselette was not something he was eager to see. He remembered her reaction after he'd teased her knickers the day before...that was certainly unpleasant, and he'd dodged her slap that time. This time he may not be so lucky.

"I guess I'm just turning soft in my old age," Draco sighed to himself gloomily.

Draco, fast losing interest in being online, scanned his eyes over the screen, fixing on the 'You've Got Mail!' sign. Trash, junk, spam, junk, junk, a job offer for Mrs. Pansy Malfoy (he blanched but shrugged it off as a creepy coincidence), and there, at the bottom, a message from Cocoa. He smiled widely and opened it.

_Dragon-_(it read)

_I know I mentioned this earlier, but really, you have the memory of a four-year-old, so I just wanted to remind you of (and rant a little about) my school trip._

_I'm so excited to be going! Did I forget to tell you where we're going? Russia! Isn't it amazing? I never thought I'd live to see the day I'd be going to Russia, but hey, just goes to show you that miracles do happen. Well, double-sided miracles._

_I have to spend the trip working, but not only that, working with the biggest _git _in school! You'd think that, if you had to work on a project with someone, you'd at least try to be civil? But nooo! He just goes on being the jerk he always is._

_I guess that isn't really fair though. He has had these sudden moments of kindness, these moments where I feel like I'm seeing a whole different person, but the next second, that person is gone. I miss him, sometimes._

_Now I guess I'm just talking nonsense, huh? Well, I have to go now anyways. Last minute packing to do before we leave at seven. An awful hour to be up, I know, but these are the sacrifices we make for learning!_

_Take care of yourself while I'm gone!_

_-Cocoa_

Draco smiled as he scanned through her letter. He didn't read it thoroughly (she had a tendency to rant and be melodramatic at times), but he got a few extra glances right before he deleted the email. Wait, did she say she was going to Russia...? He shrugged it off with a yawn. It was probably just the tiredness taking over his eyes and making him see things.

Draco stood with a stretch, shutting down the computer. Even though he desperately wanted to go back to sleep, he was wide awake, and thinking hard about the past few days. His mind wandered to the day of the food fight between him and Ginny. Thankfully, no one had seen them, so the rest of the school was still in the dark as to their-friendship? Acquaintance-ship? He had no idea anymore. Sure they worked together (reluctantly, he added mentally) but lately he'd started to notice that they were arguing less and less, and when they did fight, it wasn't so much out of anger as it was a habit.

But they weren't friends, he told himself firmly. Her brother would probably kill him if he ever spoke to her after the project finished. Draco sighed and headed up to his bed. He lay back, and stared at the ceiling above his bed. Well, then things would just go back to the way they'd always been.

Somehow, he wasn't sure he wanted that.

* * *

Ginny watched her captor stomp around the clearing with no small amount of amusement. When he'd first returned she'd been terrified, sure he was about to kill her, but he had ignored her to look around. She knew exactly what he was searching for, and she also happened to have it in her possession-not that she was going to admit that to him. He was looking for the brooch, the one that Draco had trusted her with and the one that had belonged to William Claydor. She had no idea what the significance of it was, but she knew it had to be important. Otherwise Ivanovich wouldn't lower himself to crawling around in the dirt searching.

"What are you doing?" She asked loudly, hoping to disguise her laughter. Ivanovich had been searching everywhere he could think of in the small circle of trees for a while now, cursing every once in a while in Russian. She struggled feebly against her bonds to play her part of captive even better. "Let me go!"

"Shut up," he ordered absentmindedly, looking under a rock.

Ginny rolled her eyes and raised her voice to a near-hysterical shriek. "What have I done?! Let me go, you...you...you evil man!"

This time Ivanovich turned around with a nasty sneer on his face. Ginny idly wondered how Aimee could have ever found him handsome. "I said shut up! And don't play dumb with me. It doesn't suit you."

Ginny couldn't tell if it was a compliment or not, but she decided she'd pushed her luck enough, and wisely kept her mouth shut.

* * *

Draco yawned widely, and checked the clock with sleepy eyes. It was _late_. He had to load up on his rest for the big trip tomorrow. As much as he was loath to admit it out loud, he was pretty excited. He'd never been to Russia, and to go without the annoyance of parents...even if he had to spend the time with Weasel, it still could prove to be fun.

He trudged sleepily to his bed, mind whirling with ideas and hope.

* * *

Ginny was quickly getting bored watching her former professor search in vain. She was just contemplating the consequences of asking Ivanovich for a book or something, when he growled angrily and punched the ground. He swore loudly in Russian again for a minute or so, before standing and stalking towards Ginny with a glare.

Once he got closer, he attempted some sort of coaxing smile. Ginny decided that maybe she could understand why Aimee had liked him.

"Ginny, dear, I don't suppose you've seen anything...unusual?" He smiled at her, but the fact that it showed all his teeth didn't comfort her.

She decided to continue playing dumb. "What do you mean?"

His smile widened (if that was even possible) till it was almost a grimace. "Oh I don't know," he said slowly. "Say...anything shiny? Jewelry, perhaps? Here, on the ground?"

Ginny blinked like a deer in headlights. "Why would there be jewelry on the ground?"

Ivanovich casually popped his neck from side to side, and for a second, his eyes flashed with anger, but he calmed again. "Just answer me; have you seen any?"

Ginny pretended to think. "No...no I don't think so."

"STOP LYING!" He practically shrieked. Ivanovich raised his wand threateningly, and quick as a flash Ginny's dumb look was replaced by a glare.

"Torture me all you want," she mumbled angrily before she could help it. "You won't find it."

He smiled triumphantly, and Ginny paled at the realization of what she'd done. "No-I just-that's not what I-" She stammered out, trying to correct herself.

"Too late," he cut her off, then broke into a wide, evil grin. "You've just made the biggest mistake of your short life."

* * *

"Stupid girl, thinking she can hide it from me...where is it?!? Once I find it, I'll kill her so fast she'll be dead before she hits the grou-no, wait, I'll kill her slowly. Yes, that's it! Torture!" Professor Ivanovich gave a cackle of maniacal laughter and would have rubbed his hands together like the gleeful child he was, had his arms not been elbow deep in Ginny's bag. He'd pulled out most of the clothing (and paled at the lacy underwear she'd brought) and other items (she also had an amazing number of romance novels-he tucked one or two of the interesting ones under his arm for after the torture). And yet, so far no jewelry. Not that Ivanovich knew _exactly _what it looked like...when he'd killed Claydor the piece had been Transfigured into a plain old belt, but she couldn't have done that, it was far too hard for a sixth-year student. He figured it was jewelry made purely of gold, but as to what kind of jewelry, he had no idea.

Ivanovich sat back on his heels. Not a thing there was out of the ordinary, annoyingly enough. He sighed angrily, and slammed his fist down on the top of the bag. A sharp pain shot up his hand, and he groaned. The perfect end to the perfect day.

"What on Earth did I hit? I swear I'll blast it to bits..." He tried to locate the pocket this painful thing was hidden in, but it was hard to find. Finally, looking deep inside the bag, Ivanovich managed to spot the glimmer of magic along section of fabric. Curious, he spelled the charm away, and, pulling out the very thing he'd been searching for all along, let out a triumphant shout.

It was a small gold brooch, in the form of a medieval design, the letter A topped with a sort of crown design. It stood for the Latin phrase 'Amor Vincit Omnia,' which he knew meant 'Love conquers all.' Ivanovich sneered. _Claydor always was a sentimental wimp_, he thought to himself with a cruel chuckle.

Suddenly it hit him as he stood up from the wreckage of Ginny's suitcase. He'd finally found it. The fruit of so many years of searching, and slaving, and killing, was right here in his hand. Untold power, wealth, fame, this brooch most likely had the power to do anything.

Tapping into that power, however, proved to be one entirely different thing.

* * *

Beep-beep-beep.

Draco's magilarm went off shrilly, whirring around his sleeping head annoyingly. Waking up blearily, he waved his arm around in the air till he hit the magilarm to the ground with a fulfilling thud. Once there, the alarm wheezed and spluttered into silence.

Draco started to smile viciously into his pillow, before remembering just _why_ he'd set the magilarm to such a heinously early hour. The trip.

"Damn, damn, damn," he muttered softly, regretfully leaving his warm bed. For all his sleepiness, Draco still managed to dress and gather his things together quickly. He was just turning to leave his room, when a tapping at the window made him stop.

Draco sighed in annoyance when he saw it was an owl. It was definitely a school owl, but one of the nicer ones, which made him think that maybe it was a staff owl. He scowled. If the trip had been moved, he'd definitely be more than a little pissed.

Once he opened the window, the owl hooted and flew in, looping around his head once before dropping a letter onto the desk. It left right after, not even waiting for a treat. Draco opened the envelope quickly, and looked inside. There was nothing there.

He was about to crumple it in annoyance, when something happened so suddenly his sleepy head couldn't begin to process it until it was too late.

* * *

If her hands had been free, Ginny would have smacked herself in the face. As it was, she found another suitable way to punish herself for the idiotic slip. She hit her head back against the tree painfully.

Thunk. "Ow." Thunk. "Ow." Thunk. "Ow." Thunk!

Ginny stopped after a particularly hard whack, her eyelids fluttering open and shut in dizziness. So maybe self-inflicted pain wasn't the best way to fix a bad situation.

_If I could just get myself free, _she thought hopelessly. It was no use really. Her legs were bound by the Leg-Locker; since her wand had last been seen twirling idly between Ivanovich's fingers as he walked away, that put a limit on the 'running away' part of escaping. Her hands, that was a more hopeful prospect. She couldn't tell if they were bound by a charm or rope, but she fervently hoped it was the latter. At least that way it wasn't impossible to free herself.

"Aha!" Ginny's head snapped up at the shout that came from just out of her view, heart sinking as she deciphered what it meant. He'd found the brooch. She'd used the hardest Sewing Charm she knew, with Invisibility Thread, but he'd still found it.

It was hopeless. "Can't I do _anything _right???" She screeched to the heavens. Her voice echoed around her slightly, but other than that, only silence greeted her question. A few seconds later, however, there was the sound of footsteps and the rustling of trees as Ivanovich burst through. He looked torn between being angry about the racket she was making, and being elated at discovering the brooch. At first she didn't see it on him (her eyes were drawn to the romance novel under his arm) but the gold twinkled from its spot pinned on his left breast.

Her heart sank further at the sight. By now Ginny guessed it must have been swimming somewhere around the level of her knees by now.

Ivanovich scowled at her, but he couldn't seem to help the happy quirk of his eyebrows. "Will you please be quiet, I'm trying to work with my latest toy." He flashed the brooch obnoxiously at her. "Did you know what you had you had in your possession, Miss Weasley? Do you know the amount of power in this? This-this wonderful little piece-is going to help me bring my Lord back to life." He slid his left robe sleeve up his arm, exposing the horrifying Dark Mark imprinted there.

Ginny's mouth went dry at the sight. The Dark Mark was so much more terrifying on someone's flesh than any picture could ever imagine. Merlin, she'd known the position of DADA teacher lured the most evil types, but this was getting ridiculous.

Eventually, she forced herself to speak. "You know you're not going to get away with this." By now, her fear had diminished, and she was just angry and annoyed. "By now everyone's noticed I'm missing. Malfoy, McGonagall, all my friends, they'll notice immediately! They'll put a Locator Charm on me, and in no time this place'll be crawling with Aurors. They'll find out everything, everything! And you'll rot in Azkaban for the rest of your miserable life."

She'd hoped he would be scared, as scared as she was, at least. Instead he just smiled at her eerily. "That," Ivanovich told her, "is where you're wrong. No one knows you're missing. Your friends, the staff, everyone thinks you and your partner are in St. Petersburg with me, doing research."

"M-Malfoy-" she just barely croaked out.

"Oh don't worry, he'll be here before long. But it'll still be too late for both of you. Once I complete the rituals, I'll have no need for either of you. I wonder how much your families will cry when the three of us go tragically missing. Maybe they'll find some bags or clothes, drifting away down some river...'Oh, what a tragedy, those young lives lost,' they'll say. No one will ever know the truth, until the day my Lord rises once more, more glorious than ever, with me at his right hand."

In one terrifying moment of self-doubt, Ginny could see everything the way he told her. Her family would be frantic, searching everywhere they could, but they'd only find a few scraps, and be forced to five up. No one would know about the brooch, and by the time they figured it all out, Voldemort would have risen again...Harry would be too weak, Ron and Hermione would be the first targets, along with the rest of her family. All would die in a blaze of hate and green light.

"No," she whispered. It wouldn't happen that way. _Malfoy will never come,_ thought Ginny with grim determination. _He'd never risk his neck to save me._

Sadly, it wasn't up to him.

* * *

It all happened so fast.

One moment, Draco was in his room, annoyed at the empty envelope, the next, his mind was whirling from the tug of a Portkey, and he was in the middle of nowhere.

With Weasley tied to a tree, and Ivanovich grinning like a madman.

"Oh sodding hell."

Things were about to get very interesting.

* * *

Oh freaking hell. That's another cliffy. I swear, it just popped out of me! I'll be dead before I hit the ground once you all read that...anywho. Don't hold me to this, but I think this story's got another two chaps in it, maybe three...hmmm...ponders I dunno. I'll see where the muses decide to take (_cough_ drag) me ;-) 


	15. From Russia With Love

Author's Note: A long time coming, I know. Read my bio for specifics.

Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.

You've Got Mail: Ch. 14-From Russia With Love

Draco regained control of his voice quickly. "What the hell?" He asked angrily, dropping the letter to search for his wand surreptitiously. He'd barely even moved his hand when the spell hit him.

"_Accio_!_ Accio_!" Everything flew out of Draco's pockets, from a piece of Drooble's Best Blowing Gum to a dented hip flask. It all landed in a pile at Ivanovich's feet, his wand falling on top as the crowning touch.

"Hey!" Draco shouted, feeling stupider for it the minute the interjection left his lips. Ivanovich simply grinned at him before casting a Binding Charm. Draco shot backwards toward a tree and felt ropes slide out of thin air to wrap around him. His former DADA teacher laughed heartily, as Draco groaned to himself. All this had been done in a matter of seconds since he'd arrived.

The sounds seemed to wake Ginny from her state of shock at seeing Malfoy appear. "I still say you won't get away with this! We'll escape, or-or the teachers will find us! Yes! No way they'll fall for your stupid tricks, just wait, you'll se-mmph!" Her voice, which had fast been rising to shrew-like proportions, was abruptly cut off by a careless flick of the ex-teacher's wand. She glared at him furiously, while still shrieking silently.

Ivanovich looked at both of them with steely eyes. "Now, I'm going to be over there for a little while, and I want you both to be good little children. No screaming, Mr. Malfoy, I'm sure the local creatures will find it most-" he bared his teeth in a savage grin. "Unwelcome." He left the clearing quickly.

Ginny paused for a moment in her soundless ranting to widen her eyes and open and close her mouth in fear. Creatures? Did he mean creatures as in _magical _animals? Instantly she had a vision of herself being sniffed at by a giant dragon, while Ivanovich laughed coldly and Malfoy-

Malfoy.

She'd completely forgotten about him. She looked at him hopefully, trying to mouth some words, but he was looking away. His face was blank of any emotion she'd expect to see (rage, frustration, etc.), but she recognized the look he was wearing. It was the same look he had whenever she glanced at him in the middle of research, or when he was concentrating hard on homework. Instantly a thought leapt into her head: he's thinking of our escape.

Hopeful, ecstatic, Ginny settled down to wait, trusting her partner fully for once.

* * *

Draco screwed his eyes shut tightly. He had to figure out some way to escape, and get back the brooch.

* * *

A few hours later found Ginny and Draco still tied to their respective trees, now disgusted in addition to being bored and angry. A little while after he had left, Ivanovich had stormed back to the clearing, irately tossing the brooch on top of the pile of Draco's belongings. He only grumbled to himself, seemingly not noticing his two captives, as he started a small, smokeless fire. It didn't take long for the pair to figure out the source of his anger. He hadn't been able to make the brooch work. Irate, Ivanovich found a way to deal with his frustration, the same way he'd dealt with the first and final falls of the Dark Lord, and pretty much when anything in Ivanovich's life went wrong, from misplaced socks to the flu.

He got smashed.

Finished with his own bottle of foul-smelling alcohol (Ginny could smell it from

her tree several feet away), the drunken man staggered around, searching for more. He let out a triumphant grunt at seeing Draco's hip flask amidst the pile. The younger boy's eyes widened for a second as Ivanovich's hand groped for the flask, clumsily pulling it towards him and spinning open the cap. Ivanovich poured a steady stream of clear liquid into his mouth, gurgling and grinning like an idiot.

He finished the flask quickly and was about to toss it to the side when he paused for a second to stare at the thing with amazement and confusion. He lifted it closer to his eyes, and then he let out a roar, whirling on Draco.

"You Transfigured it! Dis, dis is de real brooch!" Ivanovich screamed. His accent was thicker now with all the alcohol coursing through him. "But how?"

"I always did get top marks in Transfiguration, you know." Ginny sighed at her partner's smug tone. Well, at least it was a relief to know he was still the same Malfoy, despite their hostage situation.

Ivanovich ignored, instead focusing on waving his wand at the flask. It took a few tries (Ivanovich kept swaying too much to concentrate) but finally the flask's exterior melted away to reveal a shining gold brooch, identical to the one he'd thrown on top of the pile of junk. Ivanovich cackled madly.

"I knew it! I knew it all along! Dat is vhy it vasn't vorking for me! I knew it couldn't be my powers, my powers deserve dis honor! Oho, you are clever, little Malfoy, but not clever enough." At this last sentence, he undid the binds on Draco. His legs long since having gone numb, the young man fell to the forest floor while Ginny's eyes flashed in fear and shock. There was a sickeningly hollow thud as Ivanovich kicked the struggling Draco in the ribs, once, twice. He reached down to haul the boy up by the collar, shaking him as Draco coughed weakly and tried to stand upright.

"Dis is going to be fun," Ivanovich said threateningly, raising his fist high. Ivanovich was sweating now, and swaying more than before. He lifted Draco higher, the younger boy weak in his grasp, and Ginny shut her eyes waiting for-

Nothing.

A few seconds passed, but there were no yells of pain. The only sound was, finally, a soft little thud on the leaves. Draco landed on his numb feet, stumbled for a second as the world tried to right itself, but finally stood tall.

Ginny watched in shock, but finally shook herself out of her daze. She tried to shriek, but was of course Silenced, so she had to resort to stomping her feet until Draco remembered her. He turned to look at her slowly, and for a second she thought he wasn't going to move at all, but then he grabbed his wand and said the counter-spell. The instant her voice was back, she gave a cry of pure relief and joy. Ginny hadn't liked not being able to yell at Ivanovich.

Ginny stared at her ex-teacher. "What happened to him?" She asked quietly, half in awe.

Draco was busy collecting his belongings, rolling the prone body over with a distasteful foot nudge. He didn't seem at all affected by their sudden freedom. "Sleeping potion mixed with Firewhiskey. (Ginny rolled her eyes at this; it was so Malfoy). I couldn't put in much of the potion or it would have exploded, so he'll wake up soon." He lifted his face to her while leaning over Ivanovich, and Ginny could suddenly see a flicker of worry in his eyes. The next second it was gone, to be replaced with his usual mixture of boredom and sarcasm. "Do you think you could bring yourself to move? We have to tie him up before we leave."

"Leave?" She echoed dully.

"Yes, leave. I hadn't planned on building a cottage here and spending the rest of my days with a Weasley and a murderer."

She blushed with anger and embarrassment, and began to help hauling Ivanovich away to a tree. The man was heavy, so it took a few minutes of panting and dragging on both their parts. As they worked, Ginny kept glancing at Draco, till he finally sighed. "Why are you staring at me Weasley? Or are you too poor to keep your eyes in your own head?"

"Hey!" said Ginny. "I thought our deal was no more family jokes!"

He stood upright with a smirk and swept his arm out to indicate the forest they were in the middle of. "Look around you Weasley. Do you think that a few stupid pictures matter to me now?"

"Oh." Ginny was quiet for a second, sobered by the reminder of their predicament. Then she remembered her original question. "So that flask really is-er, was-the brooch? That's the real one?"

He didn't answer, just stared off into space for a moment. When he did tell her it was the real one, his voice was oddly strained. She shrugged it off.

They finally managed to shove their old teacher against a tree rather carelessly, though by that time Draco was looking at the unconscious man with worry. "I think he might wake up soon," he said.

Ginny paled and looked around her nervously. "What should we do, where should we go?" Her voice had risen, and Draco could sense the start of a panic attack. He intervened swiftly.

"You start collecting your stuff, I think it's over there," he ordered kindly, waving at an edge of the clearing. "I'll finish this up."

Ginny searched a bit, and finally found the wreckage of her bag behind a fallen tree. She sat down on it and surveyed the damage. Most of her stuff was dumped around, but that wasn't too bad, she could always put it back. She sighed and bent down to scoop up all her underwear, simultaneously shuddering at the thought of that murderer going through all her _unmentionables._

She had all of her underwear and her bras in her arms, and looked around for the bag to put it in. She finally spotted it, or rather, the ripped remains. Ginny groaned and trudged back to the clearing. She knew Draco still had his wand (she had no idea where hers was).

"Malfoy," she called as she got nearer. "I need you to do a spell for me, the git completely destroyed my bag."

Annoyed, he turned, caught sight of what was filling her arms and the insult died on his lips. "I-I," he stuttered, turning a faint pink. My Lord, those were lacy. "Weasley, you-"

"What is it?" She snapped impatiently. He pointed and let out a whoop of laughter. As Ginny followed his finger to the items in her arms, she bit back a shriek. She shoved them roughly behind her back, turning beet red.

"I-I'll just-" she broke off, not knowing where she was going in this highly embarrassing situation. Draco was still laughing, and finally, she resorted to her standard last option: fleeing the scene like a little girl.

She stumbled backwards quickly, her legs unfortunately colliding with the log she'd been sitting on earlier. Ginny fell flat on her back, causing Draco's laughter to reach wheezing, knee-slapping proportions.

"Oh Merlin," she groaned. She had no idea getting the wind knocked out of her hurt this badly. She could barely even move.

Finally, once her partner's laughter had subsided, he sauntered over to where she was laying, and looked down at her in a mixture of malice and amusement. It was a frightening combination, so Ginny just ordered him to help her up and be done with it.

He pulled her up forcefully by the arm, though a little too forcefully. Her body was sent crashing into his, and even once she'd righted herself, they were toe to toe and she was staring at the center of his attractive-looking chest, inhaling a mix of grass and sandalwood.

"You even smell rich," she murmured, half to herself. He caught that she'd said something, and looked down to hear, only to find himself staring right down into her delicate heart-shaped face.

They stood completely still for a moment, until they both heard the unthinkable: a groan from behind, the groan of a very pissed and very drunk ex-vampire hunter.

Ginny drew in her breath sharply, as all thoughts of what to do escaped her mind. Draco finally leaned down, gently and slowly, to whisper one word in her ear:

"Run."

* * *

Ron yawned as he made his way towards the back of the library and his partner, Janet Bulstrode. He almost shuddered. Just a year younger than her rough sister, Janet was almost a carbon copy of Millicent. All she ever did was grunt and thrust books at him. He had yet to hear an actual word come from her mouth.

Checking the time, Ron let out a whuff sound of annoyance. Ginny and her partner (he refused to acknowledge that the git had a name) had already left. Alone. Together. Well, not alone together. With each other but no one else and-oh, he was even confusing himself by now.

But whichever way he spun it, the whole situation still stank of Malfoy filth.

Ron was slouching angrily and muttering to himself by the time he sat at the table, copying his partner's grunt of greeting. She looked at him in surprise. Usually he was a pretty happy bloke. The grunting was her job.

He moped in his seat like a wet biscuit, scratching out a rather unfavorable picture of a ferret in what looked like the fires of hell. Janet immediately understood.

"So your sister left with Draco today?" She asked.

His eyes widened. This was the first time he'd ever heard her speak. And it had to be about his least favorite person in the world.

"Yeah," he grumbled. "They left about three hours ago."

Janet, about to nod sympathetically, froze for a second. "No," she corrected. "They only left an hour ago. That's when Draco told Milly and I he was leaving."

Ron was so confused, he even overlooked the whole 'Milly' bit, which normally would have ensured at least a cackle. "Excuse me, I think I know my own sister. She left to meet McGonagall by the Forbidden Forest at seven!"

"Draco said he was meeting Professor McGonagall at nine outside her classroom!"

They were both standing by this point, sizing each other up angrily. Finally Janet stepped back and sighed.

"I think we have to talk to McGonagall about this," she said.

Ron nodded in agreement, and the unlikely pair set off.

* * *

Professor McGonagall looked up, looked down, rubbed her aching head, shut her eyes, and opened them again. Nothing. Ron Weasley and Janet Bulstrode were still standing in front of her desk, arms crossed as they waited aggressively for an answer to their predicament. They expected her to know the perfect solution, and she was still trying to process what they'd said.

Finally, she turned on her chair, and threw a pinch of powder into the fire. The professor yelled a name, and Snape's crabby head reared in the roaring flames.

"What?" He snarled. Snape saw the two students standing awkwardly behind the desk and his expression worsened, if that was possible.

The older woman inhaled deeply. "We have a problem, Severus."

* * *

Sprinting through the trees like madmen, clutching on to what few belongings they could have grabbed, breathing deeply with fear in their eyes.

This was not how Ginny had pictured their trip to Russia.

She was losing energy fast, and clutched at her partner to slow to a walk. They'd been fleeing for what seemed to Ginny like hours, before she finally sat down on a rock. "That's it," she told Draco, doubled over from a cramp. "We need to take a rest."

He hesitated for a second, looking behind them, and then nodded. He sat down also, back against a tree. "We can't wait here long. Ivanovich is probably up and searching by now."

"Cast a Hiding Spell on us," Ginny said through pants. "He'll get through it eventually, but it'll buy us some time."

Draco considered her suggestion for a second before nodding and saying the incantation.

They sat there, silent except for heavy breathing, when Draco stood. "I'll be back in a minute," he said vaguely, walking for some trees.

"Wait!" Ginny yelled frantically. She jumped up and grabbed his arm. "You can't just leave me!"

Draco stared at the hand on his arm until it slowly retreated back to its owner's side. "Weasley, I have to go to the bathroom," he drawled, with a small smirk.

"Oh." Feeling stupid, she sat back down and looked away. Draco almost laughed at her blush, before he disappeared among the trees.

Staring at her surroundings, Ginny suddenly felt the weight of their hopelessness crash on her shoulders. She rubbed a hand over her eyes, torn between her need for sleep and fear of the forest. Their various problems built up in her mind. No food. No water. Only one wand and a handful or so of trash to help. And to top it all off, a murderer after them. They were going to die in this godforsaken forest, and that was it.

She was so lost in her predictions of doom and gloom, that Ginny didn't even realize Draco was back until he sat down right across from her.

"You all right there Weasley?" He asked. "Your face certainly has that lovely look of constipation you usually get when thinking too hard…or thinking at all really."

Her eyes twitched as they met his in a glare. "Oh shut up," she said. "We have enough problems to worry about without you pissing me off every two seconds."

"Hmph, touchy," he muttered. There was an uncomfortable silence for a couple of minutes, until Draco coughed. "We ought to get moving again. We aren't safe here."

Despite the fact that her legs were screaming at the thought of more exercise, Ginny knew he was right. Nodding, she started to get up, and found herself staring at him while her pessimism replayed itself in her head.

"Malfoy," she said softly. He turned around to look at her quizzically. "I just want to say that…if I end up dying here…I don't really want to be surrounded by bad feelings, you know?" His expression had become more questioning, if that was possible. "So, I guess I'm sorry, for all our fights. If I had to pick a lousy ferret to die with in the middle of nowhere, I'm glad it's you."

He half-smiled at that back-handed compliment. "I get what you mean. I wouldn't want any other fire-headed weasel here with me either," he said, moving towards her. "And don't worry. We'll get out of here alive. Don't forget you're with the master of escape," he said lightheartedly, patting her shoulder awkwardly.

Ginny, positive she was about to die in some horrible way, took the opportunity to do something she'd never done before. She hugged him.

Draco felt a little dismayed when she did this. No one _hugged _him, it was so weird. He didn't want to send the poor girl over the edge, but this was really too much. Sighing inwardly, he resigned himself to the fact that his life would never make any sense, and wrapped his arms around Ginny as well.

* * *

Ron paced angrily outside Dumbledore's office. Snape and McGonagall were in there, discussing his sister's predicament. They weren't working fast enough for Ron, however, who was close to breaking down the door.

Finally, Dumbledore called him back in. The two other teachers were staring at him gravely, and Ron felt a pang of nervousness. It was just like his second-year. He hadn't been able to help her then and he may not be able to do anything now.

"Yes?" He asked anxiously.

Dumbledore's face was serious, and hardly reassuring. "Now, Mr. Weasley, before we jump to any conclusions about this…misunderstanding, we'd like to ask you some questions." Ron nodded, and the headmaster continued. "I know this may be hard but, we have to know. Is there any way your sister and Mr. Malfoy could have wandered off…er…voluntarily?"

Ron's head exploded.

Well, not actually. But it certainly felt that way to him. "You can't mean…as a…as a couple?" He asked slowly. The headmaster had one second to redeem himself before Ron pounced.

McGonagall sensed the danger and struggled to intervene.

"We simply want to cover all our bases, we weren't suggesting anything indiscreet about Miss Weasley."

Snape just rolled his eyes. "Answer the question, was it likely they'd be sneaking off for teenage lust or not?" He barked.

Ron sat there for a second, mouth opening and closing like a fish. "Ginny knows that if she ever, ever, EVER, went near a Malfoy voluntarily, our entire family would disown her right before killing the bastard in every way known to man," he ground out coldly.

There was an awkward moment of silence. "So I guess that's a no…" McGonagall trailed off. She turned to the headmaster. "If that wasn't it, then I guess we'll have to resort to our other idea."

Dumbledore nodded solemnly. "I had hoped it wouldn't come to this, but, Ron, I'm afraid there's just a rather troubling explanation left."

Ron growled impatiently, fists clenched as he waited.

"They've been kidnapped by Professor Ivanovich."

* * *

Ivanovich stalked through the trees angrily, taking care to smash as many things that got in his way as he could. He could feel the webs of a Hiding Spell slowing him down, but it only fueled his rage more.

"If only I could kill those brats so easily," he growled to himself after smashing a mosquito in the palm of his hand.

Why were things like this always happening to him? He bemoaned his pitiful life frequently, but this instance really took the cake. Ever since he was a little boy, running around his east European village smiting and blasting bugs, all Ivanovich had wanted was power. In school, when everyone else was out having fun, he was holed up in the library learning about dark magic. No one else understood. His mother spanked him when he was bad, ignoring his protests that dark wizards weren't spanked. His first girlfriend had broken up with him within two days, just because he'd casually suggested a little virgin sacrifice to prove her love. It was all so unfair.

As the words "Woe is me, woe is me" repeated in his head, Ivanovich continued on his angry way. He was almost too angry to

"How cute," he murmured coldly to himself from his spot behind the tree. Ivanovich clutched at his wand tightly, before stepping out in plain view. They barely had time to move before the spell hit.

"_Stupefy._"

* * *

Author's note: Okay, so I think there's only one chapter left, and no epilogue. It's sad to think that it's almost over…I had a lot of fun writing this (long hiatus excluded) and I think I want to continue with some more D/G, and ff's in general. I may even expand into Tom/Ginny. So if you guys have any story suggestions, send them on over with a review. 


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